This post was written by Hatchet food columnist Scott Figatner.

Cheap vodka is like cheap toilet paper – it does the job, but it ain’t smooth. Vodka doesn’t have to be something we need a chaser for, nor does it have to be top-shelf. Infusing is all about taking what you can afford and making it better. For this challenge, I chose the cheapest vodka I could find: Burnett’s. Burnett’s alone tastes like pain. By infusing it with cucumber, lemon and Goji berries, I turned Burnett’s Vodka into a drink that actually tastes safe.

Ingredients:

Feel free to experiment with any combination you like. Start with just one or two ingredients and remember: the longer you infuse, the better!

• 750 ml of vodka
• 1 cucumber
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup of dried Goji berries

Directions:

1. Pour the vodka in a larger bottle or container to be infused. Add chopped cucumber, lemon and Goji berries.

2. Refrigerate for at least two days.

3. I served mine in a hollowed cucumber cup with Goji berries and a lemon twist.