Make Your Own Pomegranate & Basil Infused Vodka Recipe

Pomegranate and fresh basil give plain vodka a fruity, herbal flavor for simple mixed drinks. This small batch uses just three ingredients and steeps in the refrigerator. Allow about 3–5 days for the infusion, checking the flavor along the way so you can remove the basil when it suits your taste.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain vodka
• 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (the juicy arils)
• 3 fresh basil leaves

You’ll also need a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, a fine-mesh strainer, and a glass bottle or jar for the finished infusion. Choose an infusion jar large enough to hold the vodka and fruit with a little room to swirl the contents.

How to Make Pomegranate and Basil Vodka

1. Prepare the equipment and ingredients. Wash your hands and utensils. Use sound, fresh produce, rinse the basil and pomegranate arils under running water, and drain well. Remove any white pomegranate membrane. Prepare a clean, sterilized glass jar and a suitable lid; use containers intended for heat sterilization and let them cool before adding vodka.
2. Combine. Put the pomegranate arils and basil leaves in the jar, pour in the vodka, and close the lid. Gently swirl to mix, then refrigerate.
3. Check the flavor as it steeps. Begin checking after the first day, pouring a small sample into a separate glass. If the basil flavor is already strong enough for you, remove the leaves with a clean utensil and let the pomegranate continue infusing. Use 3–5 days as a flavor guide rather than a fixed requirement.
4. Strain. When you’re happy with the flavor, pour the infusion through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. For less sediment, pass it through a paper coffee filter afterward. Discard the fruit and basil.
5. Bottle and refrigerate. Transfer to a clean, sterilized bottle or jar, seal, and label it with the ingredients and the date you started the infusion. Keep it refrigerated.

The amount you bottle may differ slightly from the starting 2 cups because the fruit releases juice and some liquid stays behind during straining. This recipe contains no added sugar, so don’t expect the sweetness of a pomegranate liqueur.

Ways to Serve It

Start with a simple mixer so you can judge the balance of fruit and basil before adding other flavors.

• With sparkling water: Pour over ice, top with plain sparkling water, and add a squeeze of lime.
• With pomegranate juice: Add a splash of juice for a more pronounced fruit flavor, then finish with sparkling water if desired.
• In a vodka martini: Substitute it for plain vodka in your preferred recipe. The basil makes it worth tasting before adding a strongly flavored garnish.

If your drink needs sweetness, add a little simple syrup to the individual glass. That lets you adjust each serving without sweetening the whole batch.

Storage and Handling

Keep the infusion refrigerated both while it steeps and after straining. NC State’s food safety guidance for homemade infusions recommends washing produce, sterilizing containers, and refrigerating or freezing finished products. It also explains that alcohol does not automatically eliminate every pathogen; safety depends on the ingredients, alcohol concentration, and exposure time.

The 3–5-day steeping window is for developing flavor, not a tested preservation process or a storage-life guarantee. Don’t treat this fresh-fruit infusion as a shelf-stable bottle of plain vodka. For advice on keeping it for an extended period, ask your local extension service or a food safety specialist about the specific recipe.