A little shot of home-steeped cherry vanilla infused vodka, ruby color, perfumy  scent, mellow flavor, followed by a smoldering heat lingering in your belly...   Bethany, the absolute go-to Cape Cod Cropper for all things edible that grow, swim, crawl, squawk, oink, peck or buzz, sent a note mentioning her recipe search for the traditional hunter's vodka, okhotnichya, that has all kinds of berries and spices, including ginger and clove. Please to the Table by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman dedicates 5 pages to the art and culture of Russian Vodka and offers the following preparations:

Limonnaya (Lemon zest)

Zubrovka (Buffalo Grass)

Pertzovka (Pepper)

Korianddrovaya (Coriander)

Anisovaya (Anise)

Fruktovaya Vodka "Samovar" (Samovar Restaurant House Vodka) fruits,berries, mint and honey

Varenukha (Ukrainian Hot Spiced Vodka) This may be close to the Hunters' Vodka. It is boiled, baked and served warm. Infused with honey, dried pears, dried apples, dried prunes, cinnamon, ginger, white peppercorns. Vodka and honey are brought to a boil, the fruits and spices are added, the mixture is baked at 125* in a lidded ovenproof pot for about 5 hours, strained and bottled.

"Vashe zdorovie."