Gramercy Riffs

A carbonated wine usually from natural fermentation, but increasingly via carbon dioxide injection.

A distilled beverage composed primarily of water and ethanol, sometimes with traces of impurities and flavorings. It can be made from grain, potatoes, rice, beans, beets, fruit or even wood; 40% ABV.

Also called akvavit this 'water of life; is a flavored spirit that is mostly produced in Scandinavia, since the 15th century. It is a grain or potato spirit base, and can be flavored with many herbs and spices. EU laws dictate it must be mostly flavored by caraway or dill. A common brand of caraway aquavit is Linie. You can actually make this yourself (or something very similar) here is a recipe from the book 'Akvavit' by Rasmus Risum-Urth: Toast in a pan: 2g cardamom, 8g pine nuts, 10g caraway, 1.5g cinnamon bark, 0.5g star anise, 2g pink peppercorns. Add spices to 500ml of vodka and sous vide for 2 hours at 60C (or just let steep for a week). Strain off solids and add 1.5L gin.

A quinine-laced Moscato wine base aperitif produced in Italy. It is a variety of Americano wine that uses gentian root as the primary ingredient.

A sweet and sour liqueur made with or flavored from green 'granny smith' apples.

A wine made from non-colored grape pulp (skin removed), primarily white grapes.

A syrup made from dissolving granulated sugar (sucrose) in water. Regular simple is made by combining 1:1 sugar:water by mass, rich simple is 2:1 sugar:water by mass although only 1.5 times as sweet as regular. We always use 1:1 syrup unless otherwise noted in the recipe itself.

The most common fruit juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; pure citric acid. Lemon juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

A yellow citrus fruit. The peel is often used as a garnish while the juice incorporated into the drink for a tart flavor profile (citric acid).

Not the tech giant! A fruit in the rose family most widely known for its juice; allowing it to ferment makes cider, yum!