• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

June 5, 2014

Fruit Infused Liquor for Summer Cocktails

Whenever I even see the word ‘cocktail’ I immediately want to go put on a flouncy outfit, swipe some bright red lipstick over my lips and slip my feet into stiletto heels.

fruit infused liquor in jars atthepicketfence.com

There is just something about that word that makes you feel like you should be in an episode of ‘Mad Men’, don’t you think?

Or maybe flinging bottles behind the bar with Tom Cruise. 😉

But, just because my feet are more likely to be in flip-flops than stilettos and being stuck behind a bar with Tom Cruise would probably mean I’d have to be up past 9 pm doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a little bit of fancy being added to my everyday!

How to make fruit infused liquor atthepicketfence.com

One of my most favorite things to do in the summertime is to sit out on the deck with my husband after the kids are in bed. Those warm evenings when it seems to stay light forever are sacred moments. We get totally uninterrupted time to catch up on life, our plans for the future and the kids’ crazy antics. We laugh, we cry, (ok, it’s mostly me crying but sometimes a girl just has to get it out of her system right?) and we just get to reconnect.

I’ll take him over Tom Cruise any day!

And my husband makes us yummy cocktails to sip on while we watch the sun fade and the beautiful colors of sunset light the sky.

making fruit infused liquor atthepicketfence.com

I thought it would be fun this year to try my hand at enhancing our cocktail experience.

pear infused gin atthepicketfence.com

 How to Make Fruit Infused Liquor

Determine which fruit and liquor combination  you would prefer.

I chose Pear & Gin, Watermelon & Vodka, Peach & Bourbon

Slice fruit and place in mason jars. Pour in liquor and give it a few shakes.

Store in a cool, dark room for 3-5 days.

fruit infused liquor in jars atthepicketfence.com

 Pour the liquid out over a strainer into a measuring cup with a spout.

straining off liquor

 Then pour into a bottle, attach a label and you’re ready to start enjoying those cocktails!

Peach infused liquor atthepicketfence.com

I’m so thrilled to be joining an incredible line-up of bloggers this week as we celebrate all of our favorite elements of Summer!

elements of summer tour button

I hope you will pay them a visit for loads of ideas and inspiration!

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Thanks so much for meeting us here at the Fence today! 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, my favorite guy (no not Tom Cruise!) is waiting for me on the deck

with a cocktail that has my name on it. 😉

Vanessa signature

21 Comments Filed Under: Beverages, Good Ideas, Recipes, Summer Tagged With: beverages, cocktails, summer, summer recipes

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Tween Boy Bedroom Reveal & Giveaway!
Next Post: A Southern Summer Home Tour 2014 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leo@cottageatthecrossroads says

    June 5, 2014 at 3:23 AM

    You guys are looking great. Loved your post. I’m afraid Jane might pick Tom Cruise. Not sure. Have a great summer.

    Reply
  2. Suzy @ Worthing Court says

    June 5, 2014 at 4:31 AM

    I’ve never tried this, but it looks totally yummy! All of the combos sound great, but for some reason the peach and bourbon sounds especially good. Funny thing is, I don’t even like bourbon. Go figure. 😀

    Reply
  3. Ann says

    June 5, 2014 at 4:42 AM

    These look amazing and I think hanging on the deck with your husband sounds wonderful. My husband would have to have a TV out there! Lovely pics too.

    Reply
  4. Suzan says

    June 5, 2014 at 5:05 AM

    Peach bourbon? Yes, please!! Thanks for such a great idea. I think I am going to throw some fruit in vodka give it a whirl. We are expecting a glorious weekend and something different for 5pm on the patio would be great.

    Reply
  5. laura@top this top that says

    June 5, 2014 at 5:22 AM

    oh my… i feel like I have already had too many cocktails! 🙂 what a great idea for a refreshing summer cocktail.

    Reply
  6. Angela says

    June 5, 2014 at 5:44 AM

    What a great idea!! When can I join you for a drink?!?! 😉

    Reply
  7. Linda @ It All Started With Paint says

    June 5, 2014 at 5:47 AM

    Mmmmm … that sounds delicious! I will have to give this a try — especially since it can be made in my favorite mason jars! 🙂

    Linda

    Reply
  8. Kathy, Petticoat Junktion says

    June 5, 2014 at 5:57 AM

    Sounds like the perfect way to end the day! I think I would like the watermelon and vodka 🙂

    Reply
  9. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    June 5, 2014 at 6:24 AM

    These sound fabulous, what a fun idea.

    Reply
  10. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    June 5, 2014 at 6:59 AM

    What a fun series!! That peach infused bourbon sounds lovely. They all sound good! Pinned!

    Reply
  11. Richella Parham says

    June 5, 2014 at 7:58 AM

    Ah, Vanessa, I think your husband and mine would get along quite well. Our favorite thing is to sit on the front porch with a cocktail (although, of course, we’re out there BEFORE our kids go to bed–at 23, 21, and 17, our kids are up way after us!). My hubby makes the best Old Fashioned I’ve ever tasted, I must say–wish you could come over and sip one with us!

    Thanks for the idea to make fruit-infused liquors. I’ll have to try this; they sound so fresh and summery!

    Reply
  12. chelsea says

    June 5, 2014 at 10:20 AM

    This is so smart!

    Reply
  13. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    June 5, 2014 at 11:01 AM

    Oh my yummy goodness! I am right there with these delicious combos!!! I will certainly try these for summer. How fun!!! I just kept saying, “Oh MY Gosh!!!… Oh, MY Gosh!!! If it wasn’t 2:00 pm I’d go for one right now… watermelon please!
    I could just take a big bite or sip right out of your pictures!!!

    Reply
  14. Julianne says

    June 5, 2014 at 1:31 PM

    Hi, I do think this is a great website. I stumbledupon it
    😉 I may come back yet again since I book marked it.

    Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be
    rich and continue to guide others.

    Reply
  15. Jane @ Cottage at the Crossroads says

    June 5, 2014 at 2:01 PM

    Oh my! Now I can’t wait to get some ripe peaches so I can infuse them with bourbon! Thanks for the idea. Cheers!

    Reply
  16. Paula@SweetPea says

    June 6, 2014 at 4:21 AM

    What a wonderful idea for a summer cocktail. I hadn’t thought about infusing fruit with liquor. I’m going to try this over the summer.

    Reply
  17. Jennifer @ Town and Country Living says

    June 6, 2014 at 5:34 AM

    What a cool idea! I would’ve never thought to do this. Thanks for the tutorial!

    Reply
  18. Allison @ The Golden Sycamore says

    June 6, 2014 at 1:20 PM

    Those sound delicious! What a refreshing treat on a hot summer day!

    Reply
  19. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    June 6, 2014 at 1:21 PM

    That is an awesome idea! Peach bourbon sounds amazing!

    Reply
  20. Courtney says

    June 9, 2014 at 5:32 AM

    Sounds so refreshing and easy to make too! Pinning! 🙂

    Reply
  21. Mary Beth @ Cupcakes and Crinoline says

    June 9, 2014 at 7:41 PM

    This sounds decadently fabulous! Now I want to be a James Bond Girl ~ perhaps an older motherly one….I could try to act cool but I’m not sure I could pull it off. 😉 It was wonderful partying with you again ~ have a week filled with joy and blessings. hugs, mb

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Yvonne @ StoneGable Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Why We’ve Chosen Vacations Over Projects April 26, 2022
  • A New Look for the Family Room March 1, 2022
  • Christmas Kitchen and Family Room December 19, 2021
  • Christmas Home Tour Part One December 10, 2021
  • Easy Hot Cocoa Station November 21, 2021

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to sha Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to share all of the details of our family room shelving makeover but I’m super impatient and just had to give you all a sneak peek!! We are SO happy with how they turned out and it finally looks like I’ve always envisioned. Our quick fix years ago (scroll to see the before photo) never felt quite right but now? Soooo much better!! 🙌🏻 Big shoutout to our amazingly talented friend Matt @redemptive_woodworx for bringing our vision to life and doing such impeccable work.

I hope you all have a great start to the 4th of July weekend and make sure to check my stories later for Friday Funnies!
The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 At The Picket Fence