[Riala]

So, I have decided to attempt some Rhubarb Vodka using the recipe from this site.

But the only bottles I have, are old Rum bottles (screw top) that have been dishwasher'd but are they good enough?

The only other bottles I can find (that I can realistically afford) are 6xwine bottles from Wilkos. I have corks.

Can I do that with Vodka, or do they need a screw cap?

Can you tell I am not a Vodka drinker?

[HLS]

I used a huge jar with a metal rubber-coated lid for the infusing stage (I'd have preferred the sort with a glass lid you clamp shut, though, as I had to shake mine very carefully so the vodka didn't escape, and I wasn't sure whether metal or rubber might taint the vodka - I think I might buy a better jar for next time), and when the rhubarb was strained out most of the vodka went back into the original bottle, with the excess into a jam jar. 

I'd have thought that the rum bottles would be fine for the keeping stage, as long as you have enough of them, but a jar is probably easier for the infusing stage.

I don't know what sort of vodka you were thinking of using, but it's probably worth not getting the cheapest as mine didn't taste terribly strongly of rhubarb at the straining stage, and was definitely a bit 'rough' at that point - I'm hoping that it will mellow a bit, though.

Mind you, I haven't tried the finished product yet, so take my advice with a pinch of salt! 

[Riala]

I should of made my post clearer.

The bottles were referring to presenting the Rhubarb Vodka as gifts when it has completed.

I have a spare demi-john, so I was going to add the mixture to that, so that I can shake it every day.

[mumofstig]

Can it not go back into the bottles that the vodka comes out of, or were you going to make up smaller bottles to give?

[Riala]

Smaller ones.

[HLS]

I should of made my post clearer.

The bottles were referring to presenting the Rhubarb Vodka as gifts when it has completed.

Oh, I see.  Personally, I'd be pleased to get a gift of homemade vodka whatever the bottle looked like, especially if it had a nice label, but it's down to personal preference, really.  The rum bottles should be perfectly fine from a practical point of view, so it's just down to how they look. 

I can't see that corks would be a problem either, as there's at least one shop near me that sells sloe/damson gin and limoncello in corked bottles, provided you store the bottles upright not on their side like wine.  I can think of two disadvantages in using wine bottles, though: firstly, they're quite big, so not as useful for dividing the vodka into small amounts for gifts, and secondly you can't easily take a wine cork out and put it back in several times (as you can with a port bottle cork or the more wedge-shaped corks), which might make things a bit more difficult for the recipients unless they drink a lot of vodka in one go!  On the other hand, I'd much rather get vodka in a wine bottle than not at all, so if that's what you have then go for it.

There's a local hardware store near me that sells small bottles with corks, and I think I'll just buy a few of those this year, assuming that my vodka is drinkable!  If it's a success I'll look into bulk-buying bottles next year to bring costs down.

[Riala]

Thanks HLS!

[pushrod]

Aldi are selling small bottles of wine with screw tops - was thinking of using them for sloe gin - after drinking the wine of course