Cocktails
20130916-266625-bourbon-amaro-concord.jpg

[Photograph: Autumn Giles]

Cardamaro is a relatively mild, sweet amaro made from wine infused with cardoon and blessed thistle. Paired with robust bourbon and bright, fresh Concord grape puree, it makes for an ideal drink to usher in fall.

Note: Freeze any unused portion of the concord puree for longer-term storage. To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

About the Author: Autumn Giles is a writer in Queens, NY. You can see her work on Autumn Makes & Does, listen to her talk on the Alphabet Soup Podcast, and talk at her on twitter.

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About This Recipe

Yield: 1 cocktail, makes enough Concord puree for 4 cocktails
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Special equipment: blender, fine mesh strainer

Ingredients

  • For the Concord Grape Puree:
  • 1 1/2 cups concord grapes, stems removed (8 ounces with stems)
  • 1/4 teaspoon juice from 1 liemon
  •  
  • For the Cocktail:
  • 1 1/2 ounces bourbon
  • 1 ounce Concord grape puree
  • 1 ounce Cardamaro
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup (see note above)

Procedures

  1. For the Concord Grape Puree: Puree the grapes on medium until only small pieces of skin remain. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing and stirring the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids, stir the lemon juice into the the resulting liquid, and refrigerate if not using immediately.

  2. For the Cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add bourbon, Concord grape puree, Cardamaro, and simple syrup. Shake until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled old fashioned glass.