Looking for a creative gift from the kitchen? Try making a DIY margarita cocktail infusion kit using dehydrated fruit and a few simple ingredients. Pair with a small bottle of tequila.

One of my favorite homemade gifts from the kitchen to give away is cocktail infusion kits. You’ve probably seen similar kits at gifts shops for $20.00 to $30.00 each (like Camp Craft Cocktails) – but you can easily make them at home for less than $5.00 per jar.

Cocktail infusions are fun to make and there is no shortage of flavor options to choose from.

This year, I experimented with a fun new cocktail flavor: Margaritas!

What You’ll Need To Make Margarita Cocktail Infusion Kits

I wanted to make a flavorful margarita using easy-to-find ingredients:

• Oranges: Look for organic oranges to keep the infusion cleaner, with fewer pesticides. Orange provides fresh citrus flavor.
• Lemons: Look for organic lemons to keep the infusion cleaner, with fewer pesticides. Lemon provides tart citrus flavor to the infusion.
• Strawberries: Dehydrated strawberries add flavor and a pop of color to your infusion jar. Use organic strawberries if possible.
• Sugar cubes: You can use either turbinado sugar cubes or white sugar cubes. I used turbinado. They taste great and they look pretty in the jar!
• Tequila: The dehydrated orange, lemon, and strawberries will infuse the alcohol. You can use any kind of tequila you’d like – silver or gold, top shelf or rail. It’s up to you. 

Why use organic? Anything that is sprayed on the fruit will end up in the alcohol. Using organic fruit will help you avoid much of this.

Dehydrating Fruit

The key to making cocktail infusion kits at home is to use a dehydrator to prepare you ingredients. This removes all of the moisture from the fruit, which rehydrates when it is immersed in alcohol – adding to the full-bodied flavors of this infusion.

You’ll want to slice fruit in 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices and dehydrate until completely dry. This takes about 12 hours in my dehydrator.

Don’t have a dehydrator? You can also use your oven to dry fruit – but if you’re going to be making these often, I’d recommend investing in a dehydrator. Place fruit on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 175F to 200F for 6 to 8 hours. Rotate a few times.

How To Enjoy This Infused Alcohol

Get creative when using your infused alcohol:

• The flavored alcohol can be poured over ice and sipped
• The infused alcohol can be used to make a margarita cocktail: Combine 1 part infused alcohol with 1 part carbonated water and 1 part Sprite for a fizzy margarita.
• Use the infused tequila to experiment with other cocktail flavors

DIY Cocktail Infusion Kit FAQs

Here are some of the most common questions I get about DIY cocktail infusion kits.

How Do You Use A Cocktail Infusion Kit?

Dehydrated fruit, spices, sugar, and other ingredients are placed in a jar. Alcohol is added and the mixture infuses for a set amount of time – usually 48 hours or longer for maximum flavor. Then, the alcohol is strained out and the fruit is discarded. The flavored alcohol can be used to make a flavorful cocktail or can be served over ice.

What Kind Of Alcohol Is Best For Infusing?

Virtually any kind of alcohol can be infused, from vodka to rum to tequila. When pairing fruits and other ingredients with alcohol, use inspiration from your favorite cocktail recipes. 

How Long Should The Alcohol Be Infused?

For maximum flavor, infused the alcohol with fruit, spices, and sugar for 48 hours or longer – up to a week or longer. Store jar the fridge while it infuses.

What Size Jar Should Be Used?

Pint jars work well for making cocktail infusion kits, but other size jars will work for smaller or larger infusions. A pint jar is 16 ounces and can be paired with a 350ml container of alcohol. A half pint jar is 8 ounces and can be paired with 2 mini 100ml bottles of alcohol.

What Kind Of Fruit Should Be Used For Cocktail Infusion Kits?

Many different kinds of fruit will work in cocktail infusion kits. Just make sure the fruit is fully dehydrated. Citrus fruits work well for infused alcohol: Oranges, lemons, lime, grapefruit, etc. But virtually any kind of fruit will work, from pears to apples to cranberries to strawberries.

Why Is It Important To Use Organic Fruit?

Organic fruit is preferable for infused alcohol, as any pesticides or chemicals that are present on the fruit skin will end up in the alcohol.

More DIY Cocktail Infusion Recipes

If you’re looking for additional recipes for new flavors and delicious cocktails, check out these recipes, perfect for the cocktail enthusiast on your list:

Old fashioned in a jar: With dehydrated oranges, cranberries, raspberries, cinnamon sticks, and sugar cubes.

Pear-ginger cocktails in a jar: With dehydrated pears, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and sugar cubes.