12oz maple syrup
2/3 Cup brewed smokey tea, hot (I used one that I dubbed "Burning Village," an uncomplicated, Chinese smokey black tea)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 green cardamom pod
4 sticks cinnamon
lemon and orange zest (about 2 strips of each)
2 Cups cheap vodka
empty bottle
no fuss double boiler (pyrex measuring cup in a saucepan of hot water)
Don't use good vodka. If you buy something in a 750ml bottle and have an extra bottle of equal size, make a double batch. It will use everything perfectly. You won't need to measure the vodka. Just pour half of the full bottle into the empty one.
Pour the vodka into an empty bottle. Start steeping your tea. (1 tsp of leaves in 190F water)
Using a double boiler method, warm the maple syrup. (Heat a saucepan with enough water to make a bath for the glass measuring cup, no deeper than 3/4 the height of the cup deep.) Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and zest. Allow to infuse on low heat for 5 minutes.
Carefully remove the measuring cup from your saucepan. Pour the warm maple syrup infusion into the bottle with the vodka. Pop the citrus zest and cinnamon into the bottle, but do not add the cardamom pods. (It should not age with the cardamom in it.) Pour your brewed tea into the measuring cup, then add to the bottle. If there is any space left, top off with hot tea.
Cap. Do not touch for at least 2 weeks. It will improve if left longer.
This is a variation on Krupnik, which uses honey, plain water, 2 whole cloves, no cardamom, double the cinnamon, and one whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1 tsp vanilla extract).
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