Thirsty Thursday With Muscadines…. Not Wine

Muscadine is such a funny word. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that before experimenting with this particular cocktail, I had never even tasted a muscadine. Turns out, they are these vibrant purple, fat and juicy south-eastern species of the grapevine, with an equally as delicious white variety, the scuppernong. But what am I saying? You probably knew that already.

Before I began keeping bar at Dovetail, I was already keen on craft cocktails; particularly organic, handmade mixers, with as much focus on local sourcing when possible, but now I feel like I’ve discovered a whole new realm of the universe. I have access to more local Georgia farmers than I knew existed 3 months ago. I have he opportunity to use a nearly limitless variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, roots and flowers that local farms and all their hard workers spend months, seasons – more like years growing and cultivating from seed…I just can’t seem to wrap my head around how exciting that is.

All that being said, when Sierra and I first began preparing to craft our seasonal fall menu, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some sweet and juicy local produce, and the first fruit I found that was seasonally available were muscadines and scuppernongs. is particular cocktail, I had never even tasted a muscadine. Turns out, they are these vibrant purple, fat and juicy south-eastern species of the grapevine, with an equally as delicious white variety, the scuppernong. But what am I saying? You probably knew that already.

Before I began keeping bar at Dovetail, I was already keen on craft cocktails; particularly organic, handmade mixers, with as much focus on local sourcing when possible, but now I feel like I’ve discovered a whole new realm of the universe. I have access to more local Georgia farmers than I knew existed 3 months ago. I have he opportunity to use a nearly limitless variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, roots and flowers that local farms and all their hard workers spend months, seasons – more like years growing and cultivating from seed…I just can’t seem to wrap my head around how exciting that is.

All that being said, when Sierra and I first began preparing to craft our seasonal fall menu, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some sweet and juicy local produce, and the first fruit I found that was seasonally available were muscadines and scuppernongs. By now, you probably know how my brain works when it comes to cocktails: “how can I incorporate this ingredient into a whiskey drink?”. Yeah, I’m rather predictable. Fortunately enough, there was a simple solution. Muscadines are a grape, and vermouth is comprised of grapes, and what’s one of the greatest cocktails of all time that involves both whiskey and vermouth?…of course. The Manhattan.

The presence of the muscadines alone wasn’t enough for me, though. As passionate as I am about organic and handmade ingredients, I am equally as determined to provide my drinkers with as many different shades and layers of exquisite flavor in each sip as I can. Anything that presents itself as sweet and fruity as a muscadine definitely needs a secondary flavor to balance the sugar, especially in a drink that is not normally describable as “sweet”. Sweet and spicy though? Always a winner. Here’s what I came up with.

 

Muscadine Black Pepper Manhattan

1.75oz of rye whiskey (I’m using Rough Rider)
.75 muscadine black pepper syrup
.5oz Carpano Antica Formula
2 dash angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a stirring vessel and stir until the vessel is frosty beneath your fingers. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a twist of fresh ground black peppercorns.

 

 

I intentionally chose not to call this a “simple” syrup, because the recipe is definitely not as simple as a 1:1, or even a 2:1. After two times of testing different proportional variations of the syrup, I finally found a winner. For every 4 pounds of muscadines I muddle (until as much of the fruit has been crushed as possible, and the mason jar contains a significant amount of the juice), I’ve added 1.5 cups of sugar, and about 2 teaspoons of fresh cracked black peppercorns before sealing the combination in a large mason jar and abandoning it in the walk in cooler for over a week to work its magic. Once I’m satisfied with the amount of sugar that has dissolved (or, more realistically, once I remember that I have two mason jars full of muscadines and sugar hanging out in the cooler waiting for me), I run the mixture through Dovetail’s macerating juicer, finely strain the resulting syrup, and bottle up the purple goodness.

 

The final product is reminiscent of biting into a muscadine and tasting whiskey, with a subtle but noticeable warmth creeping up the back of your tongue upon swallowing the first sip. The warming spice of the rye, the juicy presence of the muscadines, plus the complimentary flavor of the Carpano and the final bite of the black pepper make this an all around delightful experience for your mind and your mouth. The best part? You can order one anytime this fall at Dovetail, as this Manhattan has settled in quite nicely on the new seasonal cocktail menu.

 

 

Cheers!!

 

– Chelsea