The Ultimate Gift For A Foodie: Handmade Craft Cocktail Kits

CA GROWN Blog

Discover. Learn. Connect.

The Ultimate Gift For A Foodie: Handmade Craft Cocktail Kits

December 13, 2022
CA Grown Creators

Meet Them Here

Read Bios »
Eat the Season!
Sign Up For Weekly Recipes
Eat the Season!
Sign Up For Weekly Recipes

The Ultimate Gift For A Foodie: Handmade Craft Cocktail Kits

Are you searching for the ultimate holiday gift for a foodie? Look no further than our handmade craft cocktail kits! These kits are made with dried fruit, dried edible flowers, whole spices, dehydrated citrus, and sugar cubes measured out into perfect portions for infusing with the recipient’s favorite alcohol.

Our cocktail kits come in three delicious flavors: Fruitcake, Mulled Wine, and Lavender Lemonade. After a few days of infusion time, each kit will yield approximately 12 ounces of delicious infused liquor that can then be mixed into 8-10 signature holiday cocktails. I mean, can you even think of a better gift for a foodie that has everything?! Me either!

Ingredients needed to make the ultimate gift for a foodie; cocktail infusion kits!

If you have a foodie in your life, it’s likely that they have tried some pretty adventurous ingredients in the kitchen. They may have every type of cookware and kitchen gadget under the sun too! That’s where our Craft Cocktail Infusion Kits come in. This handmade gift for a foodie is something unique and different that they most definitely haven’t had the chance to try.

The Fruitcake and Lavender Lemonade infusion kits below can be used multiple times to infuse two separate batches of alcohol. The ingredients listed below will make one-(12-ounce) Craft Cocktail Kit that will infuse enough alcohol to make 8-10 drinks. To make the kit larger to increase the batch size, simply increase the size of the jar to 24 ounces and double the dry ingredients.

Ingredients needed to make a Fruitcake Cocktail Infusion Kit.

Ingredients needed to make a Lavender Lemonade Cocktail Infusion Kit

It’s important to note that for this particular cocktail kit we recommend a shorter infusion time. Start tasting after 24 hours.

Dried lavender is very potent and can be overwhelming if left to infuse too long.

Simply add your favorite spirit (we recommend brandy or rum for the Fruitcake kit and vodka for the Lavender Lemonade ) and let it infuse for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 1 week. Shake and strain. The result is a deliciously infused liqueur ready for combining with your favorite mixers to make a custom cocktail that will transport your tastebuds straight to the holiday season.

How to make a cocktail once the liqueur has been infused.

My favorite way to enjoy the Fruitcake Craft Cocktail infusion is to combine 1 – 2 ounces of Fruitcake-infused rum with fizzy cola.

Trust me, this is one Holiday Rum & Coke that will really knock your socks off.

Bonus: The booze-soaked dried fruit doubles as a delicious garnish!

Do you need a gift for a foodie that loves Mulled Wine? Here is how to make a Mulled Wine Cocktail Infusion Kit.

The Mulled Wine kit is a single-use-only Craft Cocktail Kit. The flavoring components in this jar are perfect for combining with one-full-sized bottle of red wine from California.

Ingredients needed to make a Mulled Wine Cocktail Infusion Kit

  • 5 dried orange wheels
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 vanilla bean, split
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 2 green cardamom pods, cracked
  • 9 sugar cubes

To make a batch of Mulled Wine the recipient will combine the sugar cubes from the Mulled Wine Craft Cocktail Kit jar in a saucepan along with 3/4 cup of water over medium heat. They will heat these ingredients, occasionally stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Once the sugar cubes have dissolved, the heat should be lowered and all of the remaining ingredients from the jar added to the pot. The mixture should then be brought to a simmer for 1-2 minutes. This will begin to extract the flavors from the spices and citrus.

At this point, your favorite foodie will add one bottle of their favorite California red wine and stir to combine. They will allow this to heat over very low heat for 10-15 minutes to infuse without letting the mixture bubble or boil. 

Why should you make Craft Cocktail Kits for gifting during the holiday season?

Surprise the foodie in your life with the gift of handmade craft cocktail kits. They are sure to appreciate the time and effort that goes into crafting each custom kit. Plus, the delicious and unique flavors will impress even the most discerning palate.

Even more delicious handmade gifts for the foodies in your life!

There is nothing that says, “Happy holidays” quite like a handmade gift. Especially one that you can devour and indulge in. While we love these DIY Craft Cocktail Kits, you may want to try your hand at creating other kinds of foodie-forward homemade holiday gifts this year. Below are a few more handmade gifts that we would love to give, receive, and devour ourselves!

Giftable Almond Cheddar Crackers

These delightful crackers from Discover California Wines make a great addition to your charcuterie boards and are also a perfect part of a delicious homemade gift. Wrap up a bag of these crackers with a bottle of your favorite California Cabernet Sauvignon or California Zinfandel for the ultimate gift for a foodie!

Click here to make this gift for your favorite foodie!

Red Wine Chocolate Sauce

Who doesn’t love chocolate sauce? Add a little red wine and it’s a win-win. This recipe from Discover California Wines makes enough for you to have a jar for indulging yourself and still have some to package up as delicious holiday gifts for your friends and family. Pair with California Cabernet Sauvignon or California Merlot.

Click here to make this gift for your favorite foodie!

Be sure to share your favorite homemade gift for a foodie with us by snapping a pic and tagging us on social using #CAGROWN. 

Craving more CA Grown goodness? Follow us on Pinterest for fresh and fabulous recipe inspiration!

Three types of cocktail infusion kits.

Craft Cocktail Kits for Gifting

Meg van der Kruik
Signature cocktails are a unique and fun way to celebrate the most festive of seasons!
Our Craft Cocktail Kits allow you to create three custom-flavored infusion kits for gifting: Fruitcake, Mulled Wine, and Lavender Lemonade.
Once the recipient has infused their favorite spirits, each kit will produce enough flavored alcohol to make 8-10 signature cocktails.
4.41 from 30 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 8 drinks per jar
Calories 66 kcal

Equipment

  • 12 ounce glass jar with lid
  • alcohol of choice red wine, vodka, rum, or brandy for infusing

Ingredients
 
 

Fruitcake Craft Cocktail Kit:

  • 3 dried orange wheels
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 2 California prunes halved
  • 1 date halved
  • 1 dried California apple ring
  • 1 dried California pear
  • 1 dried apricot halved
  • 1 tablespoon dried cherries
  • 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
  • 1 vanilla bean pod split
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 sugar cubes

Mulled Wine Craft Cocktail Kit:

  • 5 dried orange wheels
  • 2 dried lemon wheels
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 vanilla bean split
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 2 green cardamom pods cracked
  • 9 sugar cubes

Lavender Lemonade Craft Cocktail Kit

  • 1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers
  • 5 dried lemon wheels
  • 6 sugar cubes

Instructions
 

To make any of the Craft Cocktail Kits

  • Layer the ingredients for the desired cocktail kit into a 12-ounce glass jar, placing smaller ingredients on the bottom and layering in larger ingredients like dried citrus wheels.
  • Seal the jar and the cocktail kit is ready for gifting. It will keep stored, sealed tightly for at least 4-6 weeks.

When ready to infuse alcohol with the cocktail kits:

  • For the Fruitcake and Lavender Lemonade Craft Cocktail Kit simply add 10 ounces of the desired type of alcohol into the glass jar along with the flavoring components. All of the ingredients should be submerged.
  • Refrigerate for 3-5 days. Shake well, then strain.
    The lavender lemonade infusion will happen much quicker than the Fruitcake. Dried lavender is a potent edible flower that can easily overpower a dish. We recommend to begin tasting this infusion at the 24 hr mark.
  • The flavor components can be used again to infuse another batch of alcohol if desired or can be discarded at this point.
  • Each Cocktail Kit makes enough infused Fruitcake or Lavender Lemon flavored alcohol to make up to 8 cocktails of your choice.

To make the Mulled Wine Kit:

  • Add the sugar cubes from the Craft Cocktail Kit jar in a saucepan along with 3/4 cup water over medium heat. Stir periodically until the sugar dissolves.
  • Lower the heat and add all of the remaining ingredients from the jar to the pot. Bring back to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add one bottle of California red wine and stir to combine. Heat over very low heat for 10-15 minutes. Make sure not to boil or even allow this to bubble once the wine has been added. You are just looking for a nice warm heat where you can see the steam rising from the pan, but there is no disruption to the liquid.

Video

Notes

This recipe card calls for enough ingredients to make 1 Craft Cocktail Kit – multiply the number of ingredients needed based on the desired number of jars you would like to make for gifting.
Nutrition calculation only applies to the ingredients in the jar prior to adding the desired type of alcohol.

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 234IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword broiled citrus, cocktail kit, cocktails, craft cocktails, dried fruit, Edible Flowers, fruitcake, infusion, lavender, lemon, lemonade, mulled wine, red wine
Tried this recipe?Mention @cagrownofficial or tag #CAGROWN!

New Member Sign Up

Your participation is appreciated. Please fill-out the form below and a Buy California Marketing Agreement (BCMA) representative will contact you. Or, you may contact the BCMA at info@californiagrown.org.

Download Pdf Form

Licensing Sign Up

Your participation is appreciated. Please fill-out the form below and a Buy California Marketing Agreement (BCMA) representative will contact you. Or, you may contact the BCMA at 916-441-5302.

Certification Mark Licensing Agreement Service Mark Compliance agreement