Stitchnripper- sorry for the delay. We have been without internet since early Saturday due to that lovely nationwide storm. Just got back online about an hour ago. As to your question about the vodka- I have used the plain stuff- nothing costly or fancy (think Ripple). It seems to help & doesn't flavor the product. I must admit though that other than the 'finish freezing' in the deep freeze I rarely have any left to store. When I do- I add the vodka, pack tight in a container & lay glad wrap or parchment paper tightly to the top of the ice cream, then use container cover to do the final seal. Works for me anyway. I have not tried it with sugar substitutes so can not address that issue. Good luck & happy taste testing to see what will work for you.
sewverybusy1