Quick Sip: Grappa Tonic
An almost-highball that highlights a new flavor profile
The Gin & Tonic might be a scientifically-perfect cocktail, mostly because of the way the quinine and gin interact. But, don’t let that stop you from combining tonic with other clear spirits and exploring some more flavors. And there’s no better place to start than grappa - you don’t even need to change the abbreviation :) .
Deep Dive: Grappa
I didn’t like grappa when I lived in Italy. I ordered it probably once a week to see if that changed, and it never did. But more than a decade later, I’ve finally come around and I’ve finally cracked the nut on incorporating it into cocktails. Grappa is also a popular ingredient in Italian cooking and is often used to flavor sauces, stews, and desserts,…
Elderflower Tonic
This seems to have gotten so popular these days that I think I see it behind bars more often than the “normal” Indian tonic. And I really do like it, though I think the enhanced sweetness and stronger profile overall can overpower a more delicate gin. But, there’s nothing delicate about grappa so it works wonderfully here.
It also still fits the “grows together, goes together” theme that I find essential to making grappa work in cocktails; elder trees are all over Western Europe, including the Italian peninsula. The Romans were probably spiking this stuff millennia ago.
Bitters and Sours
The traditional garnish for a G&T is a lime wedge, and that usually works. If you’ve never explored other garnishes, though, this is your chance. Some gins pair better with lemons, or cucumbers, or sprigs of rosemary. Grappa, though, pairs best with a lemon. When you add the garnish, give it a good squeeze too - you want some fresh juice here.
The bitters are a bit more controversial, but I often add a dash or two to my G&Ts to “season” the drink just a bit. Here, two dashes of good ol’ Ango goes a long way to rounding out the profile. It’s kind of like black pepper in cooking that way - you might not be missing it, but you appreciate it when it’s there.
Ratios
I’m usually a proponent of equal-parts highballs, but that doesn’t work here. Instead, use about double the tonic as the grappa (3 and 1.5 ounces respectively for me) in an ice-filled glass.
Squeeze the lemon, dash the bitters, give a quick stir, and enjoy. It’s a perfect way to start the weekend.
