I don't disagree that the vodka isn't necessary (as I said I feel like it speeds up extraction times) but I do disagree that you will get any "hot" flavors unless you use too much vodka. We are talking just enough to cover the spices. An decent neutral vodka should have minimal heat. I would not get the cheapest, rot gut crap you can find because it will have heads/tails from the distillation process. But even then, at such a low concentration I find it hard that you could pick those flavors up.
Regardless, as Denny says, sanitizing isn't really necessary.