Gone are the days of Skittles vodka and musk-stick rum.

It happens sometimes when you're scrolling aimlessly on TikTok. Somewhere between the cat videos, children falling over and alien conspiracies, there’s a startling, almost nostalgic jump scare. It begins with a sink, a bucket or an esky. There is an American (always an American). There’s brightly coloured liquor and tonnes of “soda.” And there is always “candy” – gummy bears, musks and sour straps floating listlessly atop a sea of sugary liquid. In the video they call it “punch” but, little do they know, they’ve just infused a bunch of already sugary liquids with a bunch of sugary foods. We can’t blame them really, this style of infusion was all the rage 12 or so years ago. Pouring Skittles into bottles of vodka, musk sticks into rum and other wild acts committed against perfectly good alcohol. And while those days are hopefully in the past, we can take a lesson from them because infusing spirits has grown up – and so have we.

In light of our new and evolved tastebuds (hooray!), we’ve added a few spirit-infusion suggestions to try at home. But first, for those who didn’t experience the sugar high that was the early 2000s, here’s a brief rundown of what it all means.

Infusing spirits 101

It’s not really a new thing, people have been doing it for yonks – dumping herbs, spices and dried fruits into alcohol to create makeshift potions. It was all the rage in the Middle Ages and it really hasn’t strayed from that simple formula. Take a botanical like rosemary and add it to a base alcohol, and after a few days, that base alcohol will begin to taste a bit like rosemary.

Macerating, which is a type of infusion, is very similar, but instead of adding whole botanicals, they’re chopped up, so there is more surface area for the alcohol to soak up the flavours.

Heat, pressure and action can also be used to infuse spirits. For example, giving the mix a nice shake a few times a day will help the flavours infuse quicker. Heating up the mix (not too much) will also make it easier to extract flavours from the botanicals (not all botanicals; flowers will perish), while pressure forces the flavour to bind.

Professional infusion techniques include sous vide, rotovapping or even nitrous oxidising (or iSi). We won’t get into all that technical mumbo jumbo now, but we have waffled on about it here if you want to know more. Even fat-washing (like in our Bacon-Washed Old Fashioned) is a type of infusion. It’s really the best bartender secret because not only does it create an interesting spirit to sip, but it also makes for a super-complex cocktail ingredient.

What spirits can I infuse and for how long?

We won’t be listing everything you can infuse because that’s a never-ending list. However, please stay away from raw meats, tobacco and non-edible items (duh). Not only will they literally poison you, but on your way to the hospital, you’ll have a really gross taste in your mouth.

As for how long you should be leaving things in the bottle, it’s really up to your taste. Tea infusions take very little time and need to be pulled out before the botanicals turn bitter, so around five minutes or so. Fruits will take a few days to release their full flavour, whereas thick herbs like rosemary and vanilla pods can stay in there for a few days or up to a week. Once it's infused for the appropriate amount of time, remember to strain out those botanicals and discard them.

Choosing the spirits to infuse

Much like our Gin and Tonica pairings, choosing the right thing to infuse is pretty specific to the alcohol’s taste. So, if you have a gin like Tanqueray No. Ten and really want to dial up that grapefruit flavour, chuck in some grapefruit rind. Vodka can take a lot of fruit and veggies, but big robust herbs will overpower the taste. You could even use infusion to dull the flavours of your base – for example, if something is too bitter, then add a fruit that is sweet. But we must stress, unlike frat-boy-styled lolly-infusions, we’re not trying to mask the taste of cheap alcohol. Choose quality ingredients for a quality result, using our seven ideas below.

1. Strawberry slices in Campari

The strawberries will lull the bitterness of the Campari, taking away its bite without compromising any flavour.

2. Gin and the corresponding botanical

The botanicals that you find in gin are very present, so look for a botanical that is already in the gin, but might not be so obvious, and then you can dial it up. Perhaps coriander seeds or leaves, or some citrus peel like orange or grapefruit. Or if it’s quite a dry gin, you could even try some slices of green capsicum. If it’s floral, summer berries like raspberries could work, too.

3. Rum and ginger

Why not make that rum spiced? The quickest way to do this is to add some ginger to your rum of choice and leave it for four days, or however long you prefer to your taste.

4. Vodka and fruits and veggies

Vodka is quite a sharp spirit, but its botanicals are fairly dulled. That’s not to say they’re not there, though, so we don’t want to trample on them with some heavy infusions. Stick to lighter, softer flavours like fruits and veggies. Jalapeños are a great shout to complement the sharp green flavours, while fruits like watermelon can add a soft sweetness to the vodka.

5. Tequilas and chilli, lemongrass, makrut leaf

Blanco tequila is best friends with chilli, so that’s a no-brainer. To add a little more intrigue, why not chuck in some makrut lime leaf and lemongrass to pair with those crunchy green flavours and bring a little aromatic twist?

6. Mezcal and orange

This is a classic pairing and one to experiment with at home for sure. Whether that’s orange slices or peel, it’s up to your taste.

7. Bourbon and fat, and bigger herbs like rosemary

Bourbon is pretty boisterous so it can take a lot of big flavours. Vanilla would work well. Rosemary, too. If you want to have a go at fat-washing, bacon fat, butter and peanut butter are great ideas.