I got REALLY excited when I saw that muscadines were showing up in my Backyard Produce box! I don’t think I’ve ever seen muscadines available for sale around here — so it was a blast from the past to find them in my box! Interested in learning more about Backyard Produce? Please visit their main website or their Facebook page!
A lot of folks, even those well south of the Mason Dixon line, are unfamiliar with muscadine grapes. Muscadines are native to southern North America and were grown by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, with varying degrees of success at wine. My grandfather grew them and I **loved** the preserves my grandmother made with them. Muscadines have a distinctive musky, sweet flavor … nothing at all like the insipid green grapes you get at the grocery store year-round. It’s kind of wild — fitting as they haven’t been domesticated as long as European grapes. The skins are thick and leathery — giving you a preserve with some tooth. As I didn’t have enough to make preserves (I am kicking myself now for not ordering more), we settled for eating out-of-hand and cocktails.
The muscadines are quite subtle in this cocktail — but that wild-muskiness is complemented by the gin’s botanical notes. I’ve got just a few left in the fridge, so I might try to make a micro-batch of muscadine syrup to enjoy for the next month, possibly as muscadine soda?
Muscadine Smash
Serves 1
2 or 3 muscadines, quartered, seeds discarded
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
3 tablespoons gin
Lime wedge
Ginger ale
Put the muscadines and orange liqueur into the bottom of a sturdy wide-mouth tumbler (“Old Fashioned” glass). Muddle these together, making sure to smash the grapes well. Add the gin and a squeeze of lime and stir to combine. Add the ice and top off with ginger ale. Garnish with a muscadine half.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Backyard Produce. I received compensation in exchange for developing these recipes. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.