red currant + grappa {cocktail}

Most people, when confronted with freshly made fruit juices at the farmers market would think “healthy breakfast drink.” Me? My mind immediately turns to cocktails.

In fact, I’ve already written about my ‘farmer’s market’ cocktails in the past. And this is precisely what I had in mind when it got to be 7pm last Sunday. I was going to whip up a batch of Red Currant Cosmos.

One problem. I was out of vodka. Sad, but true. A fact that tells you not only how busy I’ve been lately (how can someone not find time to shop for more vodka?) but also how busy I’ve been lately (evening cocktails now needed more than ever).

But making do these days has become my motto. Whether it’s a soup made out of Monday’s leftovers, a pasta sauce made out of salami scraps or…..a cocktail that uses up my inordinately large supply of grappa.

So grappa cocktail it was. And it was mighty good. The Nonino Grappa that I used has a very strong flavor of it’s own, much more so than plain old vodka. Slightly floral and fruity, and definitely strong enough to stand up to the sharp tang of the currant juice. Once I added a squeeze of Meyer lemon, it was kind of perfect.

So perfect, that I think I’ve just justified putting off my vodka shopping for at least another two  weeks. Which is about how long that bottle of grappa should last. 

Right. 

Red Currant and Grappa Cocktail

1/3 cup fresh red currant juice
2 oz good quality grappa
1 tsp Meyer lemon juice

Place all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into glass.