Cocktails
20130916-266625-scotch-concord-sherry-1.jpg

[Photograph: Autumn Giles]

With alternating smoky, nutty, and jammy notes, this cocktail plays up the complexity of Concord grapes. The result is a bit of a confounding cocktail: three assertive flavors that marry amazingly well.

I had big dreams of making a Concord grape syrup with no added water. Grapes have plenty of juice, I figured, but those big seeds and tough skins also have a ton of pectin, the stuff that makes jellies gel. Even after reducing the amount of sugar in the syrup and cooking it over really low heat, I got a very nice concord grape jelly. So, the final recipe does have a bit of water, but thanks to the bold, musky flavor of the Concords it is still mighty full-flavored. Many Concord recipes call for separating the skins of the grapes from the flesh (Concords are a "slip-skin" variety, which means the skins slide easily off of the flesh). To avoid that step here, reduce the cooking time, and still get jammy flavor, the grapes take a quick whir in the blender first to chop up the skins a bit and break down the flesh.

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.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: makes 1 cocktail, makes enough grape syrup for about 12 cocktails
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 4 hours
Special equipment: blender, fine mesh strainer

Ingredients

  • For the Concord Grape Syrup:
  • 1 1/2 cups Concord grapes, stems removed (8 ounces with stems)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  •  
  • For the Cocktail:
  • 1 1/2 ounces blended Scotch
  • 3/4 ounce Oloroso Sherry
  • 3/4 ounce Concord grape syrup
  • 1/4 ounce juice from 1 lemon
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Lemon peel, for garnish (optional)

Procedures

  1. For the Concord Grape Syrup: Pulse the grapes a few times on low speed in a blender then puree on low for a few seconds, until the grape skins are chopped and the grape flesh is slightly broken down. Combine the rough grape puree with the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over very low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture should only simmer for the last 3 minutes of its cooking time. Remove from heat, strain through a fine mesh sieve, gently pressing the solids to extract the liquid. Refrigerate until completely cool.

  2. For the Cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the Scotch, sherry, grape syrup, lemon juice, and bitters. Shake until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with lemon peel if desired.