Flavour whisky with rock candy, rum with spice, and gin with berries, then gift it, store it, drink it.

Total honesty? I’ve never been the best at mixing drinks. While others will have a batch of spritzes ready in minutes or whip up spicy margaritas so perfectly balanced you’d swear they moonlight as a bartender, I have had my attempts at garnishing lemon slices thrown in the bin by friends. And the knife taken from my hand. Mixing drinks is famously not my strong suit.

My reputation has improved since flavoured spirits have become so popular. Prepared with mixology expertise and knowledge, these bottles do the hard work for you. It’s a cocktail in a bottle. Add ice and soda water and you have yourself a long, summer-y (signature) drink. While mixing these super easy sips, I’ve thought about other flavours that could be interesting, red licorice vodka? Ginger gin? A cinnamon whiskey? Spend a few minutes in the confectionary aisle next time you're at the supermarket and the ideas will start flowing. Being a DIY-er at heart, and with a lot more hometime happening of late, I’ve been inspired to try infusing my own spirits. Could it be the key to making a less expensive bottle a little more spesh? Could it be the gift I give every family member for Christmas? Absolutely. And it could be yours too! Ahead, our top tips for infusing your own spirits.

This goes with that

Step one is choosing your spirit. To do this, think about what flavour you want to end up with. Clear spirits, like vodka and gin, work well with subtle ingredients like cucumber or grape, while darker liquors, like bourbon and whiskey, require bolder flavours like banana or cherry.

Chuck it in

One of the best things about infusing your own spirits is that there is no recipe or cooking or even peeling. Prepare the ingredients so they are clean (rinsed berries, stalks removed and pits removed), and remove any parts that you don’t want included in the flavour, e.g. cucumber skins are very bitter. The measurements, ingredients and timings are up to you. Make your selection of herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables or lollies and pop them in the original bottle or, if you want to try out a few different infusions, dispense them into smaller vessels. Mason jars are great because you can easily put your ingredients in and out, and then decant into smaller bottles to give as gifts. The Pinterest community would be proud.

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Steep it real good

In general, ingredients should brew for three to five days, but this will depend on how strong you want your flavour and how porous the ingredients. Store your jars in a cool, dry place, like your pantry, and each day give them a shake and a taste test. Produce takes longer than herbs and spices, so keep tasting until it’s right. When it is, simply strain with a fine mesh strainer lines with a sheet of cheesecloth into a clean bottle or jar, and they’re ready to be served!

Can’t lose combos

Infusions to make and how to serve them. Plus, some inspired cocktail names.

1. Infuse Fire & Ice Vodka + 12 organic lemons + 1½ cups sugar = Homemade Limoncello. Serve with ice and soda. Call it My Week in Santorini.

2. Infuse MG Dry Gin + 200g raspberries + 100g caster sugar = Pinkberry Gin. Serve with tonic water and a sprig of rosemary. Call it a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

3. Infuse Cazcabel Blanco Tequila + 3 jalapeño chilli + 6 limes = Spicy Tequila. Serve with lime juice in a chilli and salt rimmed glass. Call it A Night to Remember.

4. Infuse Havana Club Añejo 3 Años Rum + 1 vanilla bean + 1 orange peel + 1 cinnamon stick + 4 cloves + 6 black peppercorns + a pinch of ground nutmeg + 1 slice of fresh ginger = Spiced Rum. Serve with a splash of water and a slice of lime. Call it Two Rums Walked Into a Bar.

5. Infuse Old Virginia 6 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey + 12 pieces Choc Orange Rock Candy + 3 oranges = Cheat’s Old Fashioned. Serve neat. Call it Genius.

6. Infuse Dewar's White Label Blended Scotch Whisky + cinnamon = Sweet Spiced Whiskey. Serve on the rocks. Call it Santa’s Favourite.

7. Infuse Mishka Vodka + vanilla paste = Vanilla Vodka. Serve with ice and milk. Call it Sweet Tooth.