Cocktails
Ciroc Grape-Tini wins over oenophile after a fashion
By Jean ScheidnesWeb posted: Oct. 5, 2005
Hello. I'm new to this space, but you may know me from such rants as "Makeup is a withering chore" and "Put down that poncho." As you can see, I've added cocktails to my fashion/style repertoire in my apparent quest to become a full-blown chick-lit cliché. All I need now is a credit card addiction and an implausible romantic entanglement.
On to the matter at hand. Mixed drinks.
I've been faithful to white wine for several months, straying only for the occasional vodka martini, straight up with olives. Full disclosure: I like a minimalist approach to libations, I don't care much for sweetness and I've completely shunned brown liquor for years. But this is a cocktail column, and professionalism dictates that I now step up my cocktail game. I'm determined to branch out.
In the Brown Bar's Ciroc Grape-Tini I found the perfect transitional cocktail for oenophiles. Ciroc is vodka distilled from two French grape varietals — Ugni Blanc from Cognac and Mauzac Blanc from Gaillac. The Grape-Tini has Ciroc and white grape juice, sugar on the rim and a spear of frozen grapes. If you've never eaten frozen grapes on a hot day, you are missing out on one of the best low-calorie treats life has to offer.
A harmless mishap occurred when the friendly bartender mixed the first round with olive juice in lieu of grape juice. He saw us sipping hesitantly with furrowed brows, realized his mistake, wordlessly marched over and in one swift action, snatched the glasses from our hands and dumped them in the sink. Priceless.
The second try was perfection. Clean and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness. Alas, no whispers of oak or rosemary or freshly cut grass.
Ciroc Grape-Tini
Mix equal parts Ciroc vodka and white grape juice in a shaker. Serve with four frozen grapes in a chilled martini glass rimmed with grape-flavored sugar.
jscheidnes@statesman.com; 445-3974
