Straight-up vodka is a pretty awesome form of alcohol. It's often smooth, a little pine-y and the perfect complement to most random liquids in your refrigerator (bar dairy). But what if we told you that a group of savvy vodka-preneurs were concocting vodkas that used ingredients like bacon, hot dogs and scorpions?

Naturally, you'd either pee your pants with excitement or run for the hills. We can't help but hope that these weirdly infused vodkas will cause you to do both at once.

Hot Dog Vodka
The man who created hot dog vodka is considered a hero by some, a saint by others. After all, the combination of rubbery, mixed animal parts and liquor that burns your throat could easily be considered God's gift to planet Earth. Or, it could be really disgusting.

Either way, you can thank Andrew Fenton at eGullet for the concoction. The creative mastermind behind hot dog vodka came up with the idea nearly four years ago. Since then, his "Weeniecello" cocktail has been idolized by many.

"I felt disenfranchised, and alone, especially after some research on the Interwebs revealed a real lack of meat-based liqueurs," he laments on a post in the eGullet forum. "I decided that a hot-dog-based infusion would work best. Not as assertive as chorizo, but bolder than pork chops or steak."

Keep reading for seven more infused vodkas.


Scorpion Vodka
Throw the body of a scorpion in some vodka, let it infuse for the right amount of time, and then pour yourself a delicious scorpion cocktail on the rocks. Sound disgusting? Yeah, it kind of is. But Thailand Unique sells the stuff at a fair price if you want to give it a go just to say you did.

"This special triple-distilled vodka is infused with a real farm-raised Heterometrus spinifer scorpion," reads the site. "This unique liquor bottle could be an excellent addition and a great conversation piece for your home, bar or office."

You've got that right. It even has a few additional perks. According to the Web site, scorpion vodka is used as an aphrodisiac in Southeast Asia (come on, baby!) and even has a few medicinal uses.


Skittle Vodka
Taste the effing rainbow --Skittle vodka has finally arrived! To be honest, this colorful vodka actually sounds pretty palatable. Imagine yourself sipping a sugary, chromatic set of drinks and just try to be unhappy.

So far you can't buy the stuff pre-made, but people are creating their own at home. The vodka pictured was hand crafted by Drew Stephens, who blogged about the entire process and even includes a recipe for those who want to make their own.

"My favorite flavor would have to be yellow or green -- ostensibly, lemon and lime," he tells Asylum. Stephens also suggests pairing the vodka with club soda.


Rattlesnake Vodka
If you're going to let Scorpion-infused vodka exist, you may as well make room for rattlesnake vodka.

It may come as a surprise, but this disturbing vodka has a healthy fan club. Turns out, the vodka is exceptionally mellow and runs down your esophagus as smooth as butter. Well, maybe not quite as smooth as butter.

Just don't make some yourself and then sell it without a liquor license like Bob Popplewell did in Texas. In 2008, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission arrested him and confiscated 411 bottles of the stuff.

Asylum is going to take a wild guess and say that TABC had a really interesting time that evening.


Bacon Vodka
Bacon vodka, also known as Bakon, was created not too long ago by Black Rock Spirits, a company based in Seattle. At first this premium vodka sounds a bit nasty, but once ideas for cocktails and mixed drinks enter your mind, it starts to sound 100 percent awesome.
"It just hit the shelves in Seattle a few weeks ago, and we're getting overwhelming response already," says business manager Sven Liden. "We're getting interest from high-end lounges that mix it with smoky scotch and blue-cheese-stuffed olives, to college bars that are trying to come up with the perfect 'bacon bomb.'"

Keep reading for seven more infused vodkas.


Horseradish Vodka
You know that piercing feeling that overtakes your brain when you put too much horseradish in your mouth? You know -- the one that makes you want to die, cry and curl up in a ball all at once?

We wonder if that would happen with horseradish vodka, an innovative beverage contrived by Sputnik Vodka and a few other daring liquor agencies that create infused vodkas.

Anyway, horseradish vodka may pair well with a steak. And we can't make any guarantees, but it's possible that a few extra chest hairs may sprout per every ounce you sip. Hey, it's worth a manly shot or two.
Snake Blood Vodka
Snake blood vodka is a Vietnamese special, so the next time you're travels lead you through Southeast Asia feel free to drop by and down a shot or two. Often times this delicacy comes paired with a fancy meal, so at least you'll get your money's worth.

And, rumor has it, special guests are provided with the snakes beating heart as a sweet follow-up to the beverage.

If your stomach can bear it, check out this YouTube video that shows how the vodka is made. If you're too cowardly to click, here's the rundown: Pour shot of vodka, chop off snake head, squeeze blood into shot glass, drink quickly, initiate gag reflex.


Pickle Vodka
Vodka Garant, a Russian distillery that makes all sorts of quirky vodkas (including ginseng and pepper-garlic), has created -- and patented -- an alcohol first: pickle-infused vodka.

"The bottle contains pickles and garlic, which make it especially attractive," boasts Garant on their Web site.

They add, "The vodka has the famous taste of pickles and is characterized by the unforgettable aroma of brine."

Throw back a shot of this stuff and then chase it with grilled hamburger topped with your favorite condiments. Pickle vodka is probably an ideal solution to any slow summer day.