Sous Vide Bourbon Grape and Ginger Beer Cocktail

I was planing on soaking cherries in bourbon, but got ahead of myself and consumed the cherries on its own. I did, however, have grapes that were too tart to eat. Rather than waste them, I decided to put them to work for me. The result is gorgeous to look at and makes for a sweet dessert drink. Or, you can make a refreshing cocktail, as I do here. Disclaimer: the resulting fruit is boozy and most definitely an adult treat.

Author

Barbara Freda

I grew up in a cooking family and after getting a degree in Spanish and Anthropology, realized what I really wanted to do was to go to culinary school. After working in a NYC bank for a few years, I managed to get to culinary school and got my first jobs in NYC kitchens, including a long stint at Union Square Cafe in its earliest years. After (sadly) leaving NYC, I realized I needed to step away from the 80-hour work weeks, so I left the heat of the kitchen for the cool of the computer keyboard: I started writing about food, the business of food, and technology in the food industry, as well as teaching cooking classes. Recipe development remains one of my top loves, and the opportunity to develop recipes for Anova has been fun every step of the way.

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 02:00

Temperature : 167F / 75C

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups sliced seedless red grapes
• 1 1/4 cups vanilla sugar
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split
• 1 (1-inch) piece lemon peel
• 1 star anise pod
• 1 cardamom pod
• 1/2 cup ginger beer per serving
• Fresh mint leaves
• Lemon twists
• Sliced grapes, for garnish

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 167ºF (75ºC).
2. Combine grapes, sugar, bourbon, vanilla bean, lemon peel, star anise, and cardamom in a large zipper lock bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique and place in the water bath. Set the timer for 2 hours.
3. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and transfer to an ice bath. When the grape mixture is cool, transfer to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

For each cocktail:

1. Strain the grape mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup. Reserve fruit for another use (like a compote or over ice cream).
2. Fill rocks glass with ice. Add 1/2 cup ginger beer. Top this with 1 1/2 ounces infused bourbon. Garnish with mint, lemon twist (twist peel lightly to release lemon oils), and sliced grapes. Serve.