In the spirit of health: Healthier spirits!

Two substances in red wine are thought to have a positive impact on cardiovascular health, and those are the alcohol in the red wine, and the resveratrol in the grape component.

While drinking any alcoholic beverage in moderation can provide potentially beneficial alcohol, not all contain other health promoting compounds like resveratrol. That doesn't mean that they cannot be added, though, along with some pizzazzy flavors. (I dedicate my use of the word 'pizzazzy' to Rachel Maddow for inspiring me to utilize some quirky linguistic creativity.) For some great creative mixing potential, a spice-infused vodka can be a wonderful tasting experience that provides beneficial phyto-nutrients and antioxidants to boot.

For a basic cinnamon-ginger vodka you'll want to begin with a liter of good kettle-made vodka. Ketel One is good, although if you can find something of similar quality made closer to home that might be a better bet. Dehydrated whole ginger root will work best as an infusing spice, but if you can't find dehydrated whole ginger at your local supermarket fresh whole ginger will work as well. You'll want to use a whole medium-small size root to infuse a liter of vodka. Find some cheap cinnamon sticks, too -- you'll need four or five to infuse a liter of vodka. Slice the dehydrated or fresh ginger into small enough pieces to fit into the mouth of the bottle, and place the 4-5 cinnamon sticks in as well. Unfortunately, some of the vodka might be displaced when the spices are being added, but that's a sacrifice that sometimes has to be made for the greater vodka. The other sacrifice that has to be made for this greater vodka is a bit of a wait. Specificaly, the vodka should be allowed to infuse for at least a week, at the end of which it will have turned a dark, rich amber color. It will also smell absolutely amazing.

I'm not too up to speed on the benefits of cinnamon and ginger, but I've heard that ginger is extremely anti-inflammatory, and cinnamon can help to moderate blood sugar levels. I think I heard that cinnamon bit from a slightly new-agey source, though, so you might want to check on that one. The thing about ginger being anti-inflammatory came from The Man Himself, Dr. Michael Greger, so you can take that to the bank. (In case you haven't figured it out, I really appreciate Dr. Greger's skeptical inquiry into health issues, and I trust the guy's word quite a bit.)

So, health issues aside, what exactly can you make with this stuff? I usually like to mix a little juice and a little mineral water with regular vodka, and I found that the same will work with this infused vodka. You just have to take into consideration the new flavors of the vodka and add a juice that will meld well with them. Cinnamon and ginger pair really well with orange juice and, surprisingly, with black cherry juice. My favorite mixture (so far) is:

-~1.5 teaspoons black cherry juice concentrate
-1 oz cinnamon ginger vodka
-2.5 oz mineral water (as in Perrier, but a less expensive brand is perfectly fine)

It's truly a taste sensation worthy of a fancy glass, a comfy chair, and a good book. An episode of The Rachel Maddow Show works, too. (Here's to Rachel Maddow. Cheers!)