Cocktail TN: Moscato grappa and malvasia passito

You heard me right: a luscious and refreshingly different cocktail at Nostrana in Portland, featuring Po di Poli Jacopo Poli Moscato Grappa, Vigna del Volta Malvasia Passito, Mauro Vergano Vermouth (yum), carbonated with orange and lime, serve in a tall glass with ice. Original, inventive, and delicious.

http://violentfermentation.blogspot.com/2014/02/captivating-cocktails-haunted-by.html

How sweet was it?

How sweet was it?

Not terribly, James. Along the lines of a dry-ish Collins. No simple syrup, so juices and Malvasia provided the sweetness. Grappa was very noticeable, pronounced...and for me delicious. Malvasia, not as pronounced, more a background player for taste, and adding lovely textural complexity.

Should be great for warm, dry, sunny days.

Not sure I have all the ingredients, but I'll give it a shot!!

Before I discovered beer and wine, I loved Tom Collins! Sounds interesting.

Nice use of the moscato grappa! I hope that catches on.

Nice use of the moscato grappa! I hope that catches on.

Quite agree, Mike. We're sort of on a Catch 22 here though, the quandary being there is either cheap (and correspondingy ranging from blah to baaaad) cheapo grappi, say around the Stock level (ubiquitous lower-end rectifier we-make-everything factory in Trieste) or the exalted Nonino/Poli types, which are exquisite but too damned expensive to use in a cocktail program.

And then there's awareness, natch. Sad but even most bartenders don't know that much about grappa, as it's not something they normally reach for.

But, yeah, grappa, and especially moscato grappa, I think, adds a dimension 1)unusual and rarely seen and 2) aromatically and texturally delicious.