Unripe Grape Verjuice SIDECAR

I'll show you how to make a Verjuice Sidecar and you’ll see how to swap lemon juice in a cocktail! Verjuice, or verjus, meaning ‘green juice’ in French, is a highly acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes, apples, or other sour fruits. It was used as far back as ancient Greece, it was a common ingredient in medieval recipes and it is slowly making a comeback in gastronomy. I used it to make my version of a Sidecar with three grape-based ingredients. Cognac, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, and verjuice made from sour grapes (I picked them back in August and placed them in the freezer).

And because yesterday (11th November) was St. Martin’s day, which is a big thing where I live, it was only fair to use products made from grapes, and toast to the winegrowers for their hard work and effort to give us their wonderful wine. So if you want to make a medieval ingredient and use it in a Sidecar cocktail, or any other way that you find works great, this is the recipe I recommend. Let me know if you try it out! But first, here's the classic recipe. Classic Sidecar

• 45 ml (1 ½ oz) Cognac

• 22,5 ml (¾ oz) orange liqueur

• 22,5 ml (¾ oz) lemon juice

• 1 bar spoon sugar syrup

Shake well with ice and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Verjuice Sidecar

• 45 ml (1 ½ oz) Cognac

• 22,5 ml (¾ oz) Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

• 22,5 ml (¾ oz) verjuice

• 1 bar spoon Gomme syrup

Shake with ice and double strain into a coupe glass. Spray one side with verjuice and sprinkle with powdered sugar, as an homage to the traditional Sidecar sugared rim.

This Verjuice Sidecar is a rich, refreshing, and smooth sour cocktail. The verjuice brings fruity notes of grapes and apples with pleasant acidity, complemented by the citrus of the dry curacao. The gomme syrup balances it all and adds a silky mouthfeel, while the Cognac provides body with subtle orange and vanilla finishes. Sipping from the sugared side of the glass enhances the experience.

Using verjuice is a great way to explore medieval ingredients while honoring seasonal traditions. It’s also a toast to winemakers and the effort that goes into producing wonderful grapes.

Verjuice

• 250 g unripe sour grapes

• 0,5 g ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

Blend and strain through a cheesecloth or muslin, squeezing to extract as much juice as possible. 

Measure the juice and, per every 97 g of juice, add

• 1,5 g tartaric acid

• 1,5 g malic acid

Stir well, bottle it and place it in the fridge. Leave it to settle from 24 h to 72 h. The longer you’ll wait the clearer the product you will get. Then gently strain it again before bottling in a clean bottle. You’ll have verjuice that you can use within a month. Since we can’t pick unripe grapes or apples all year, you can put the juice in the freezer and use it when you need it.

Cheers! And thank you to St. Martin!

#verjuice #sidecar #cognac