A Look At 5 Top-Notch Gin-Based Cocktail Recipes From New Zealand’s Scapegrace Distillery
Scapegrace is a distillery based in New Zealand, as founded by brothers-in-law Mark Neal and Daniel McLaughlin. All of Scapegrace’s products start with unparalleled botanicals and water torn from the earth 80 years after it came down New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Everything from the brand’s ingredients to the processes used, and even the bottles they come in pays tribute to the traditional craft of gin making, while also allowing the founders to forge their own path and pave a new way for the process. Scapegrace’s American portfolio currently includes 3 acclaimed gins, including Scapegrace Black, which is reportedly the world’s first naturally-black, color-changing gin.
The key to Scapegrace Black is that it is naturally-black, using no artificial colors or flavors. It is a unique gin, to say the least, and its finish will give you visions of freshly mowed grass, sweet earth and herbs. When mixed with tonic and/or citrus, Scapegrace Black goes from noir to a light lavender. Must be seen to believed, of course, and Scapegrace Black carries a reasonable suggested retail price of $39.99. Below are 5 Scapegrace Gin-based cocktail recipes which I not only recommend but had the pleasure of trying at a Scapegrace-sponsored dinner at excellent New York City restaurant Wicked Jane. More on Scapegrace and its portfolio of gins can be found by clicking here, here and here.
Scapegrace Black Signature
The Scapegrace Signature Serve is the easiest way to enjoy Scapegrace Black. The tonic elevates the unique flavours, whilst the green apple cleanses the profile, making it highly refreshing, crisp.
Ingredients:
– 1 2/3 oz Scapegrace Black
– 5 oz Tonic Water
– Slice of green apple
Method:
– Fill glass with ice
– Add Scapegrace Black
– Top with Tonic Water
– Garnish with slice of green apple.
– Please note your drink will turn from nature’s Black to a delicious shade of Red.
Scapegrace Black Chokeberry Fizz
A berried & floral based riff on the classic gin fizz, It takes its names from the berry family the Aronia berry comes from, this fizz enlivens the idea of showcasing Aronia, its depth of texture & its floral notes. Clean bright & floral.
Ingredients:
– 1 2/3 oz Scapegrace Black
– 3 dashes Hibiscus Bitters
– 1/3 oz Egg white/Aquafaba
– 1 oz Fresh Lime
– 1/2 oz 1:1 Sugar Syrup (Equal Parts Sugar & Water)
– Topped with Soda
– Ice
– Glassware: Highball/Fizz
– Garnish: Dried Plums or hibiscus tea
Method:
– Add all ingredients, bar the soda to a shaker tin, dry shake then pack the tin with ice and hard shake for 10-15 seconds.
– Fine strain into a chilled highball/fizz class that has around 50ml of Soda water in it, pour the fizz from the tin until the cocktail lifts out of the glass.
Scapegrace Black Crocus Old Fashioned
A luxurious twist on an old classic, The Crocus Old Fashioned pays tribute to the flower Saffron is painstakingly harvested from. Perfect for finishing the day or after dinner. Floral, textural and complex.
Ingredients:
– 2 oz Scapegrace Black
– 1/3 oz 1:1 Floral Honey Syrup (Equal Parts Floral Honey & Water)*
– 3 Dashes Cardamom Bitters
– Glass: Rocks/Old Fashioned
– Garnish: Grapefruit Zest, Honeycomb
Method:
– Add all ingredients to a frozen mixing glass, pack with cubed ice and stir until glasses is almost frosted.
– Serve in rocks or Old Fashioned Glass over a large cube of Ice, garnished with a Grapefruit Zest and Honeycomb.
Scapegrace Black Indigo Collins
The Indigo Collins calls on the chalky and creamy texture of the purple potato to build a classic Collins style with the use of fresh Green Apple. Bright, Zesty & Textural.
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 oz Scapegrace Black
– 1 2/3 oz
– l Fresh Green Apple Juice
– Topped with Old Fashioned Lemonade
– Cubed Ice
– Glass: Highball Glass
– Garnish: Slice of ruby red grapefruit or green apple.
Method:
– Add all ingredients to a chilled highball glass.
– Pack with Cubed Ice.
– Garnish with a slice of fresh ruby red grapefruit or green apple.
Scapegrace Black Bromelia Royale
A drink bringing light to the Pineapple botanical of Scapegrace Black, we build a riff on the classic Southside Royale around it, surrounding pineapple with fresh mint & Champagne. Luxuriously dry & refreshing.
Ingredients:
– 1 1/3 oz Scapegrace Black
– 2/3 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
– 1/3 oz 1:1 Honey Syrup (Equal Parts Liquid Honey & Water)*
– 2 dashes Peychaud Bitters
– 4 leaves Fresh Mint
– Topped with Champagne
– Ice
– Glass: Coupette
– Garnish: Fresh Mint
Method:
– Add all ingredients except Champagne to a shaker.
– Pack with ice and shake hard until the tin is frosted.
– Fine strain into a chilled Coupette and garnish with fresh mint.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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