Cardamaro Concord Cocktail Recipe

Cardamaro paired with robust bourbon and bright, fresh Concord grape purée makes for an ideal drink to usher in fall.

By
Autumn Giles
Autumn Giles
Autumn Giles wrote Beyond Canning in 2016 and has been creating recipes for preserving, cocktails, and desserts for over a decade, all gluten-free.
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Updated February 14, 2023
A Cardamaro Concord cocktail, garnished with a pair of skewered grapes.

Serious Eats / Autumn Giles

Why It Works

  • Juicing grapes by blending them and then straining the purée is a quick and convenient method that preserves their fresh flavor without the need for cooking, peeling, or seeding.
  • Bourbon and Cardamaro give this drink a festive, warmly spiced flavor profile.

Cardamaro is relatively mild, sweet amaro made from wine infused with cardoon and blessed thistle. It's definitely reminiscent of spiced or mulled wine, although a bit more complex, so it's perfect for cool-weather sipping. 

Paired with robust bourbon and a bright, fresh Concord grape juice, this is just the drink for celebrations.

Have a bountiful harvest of Concord grapes? Try this unique cocktail with grape syrup, Scotch, and sherry or this seasonal play on a French 75.

September 2013

Recipe Details

Cardamaro Concord Cocktail Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 10 mins
Serves 1 serving

Ingredients

  • For the Concord Grape Purée:
  • 1 1/2 cups Concord grapes, stems removed (8 ounces with stems)
  • 1/4 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
  • For the Cocktail:
  • 1 1/2 ounces bourbon
  • 1 ounce Concord grape purée
  • 1 ounce Cardamaro
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup (see notes)

Directions

  1. For the Concord Grape Purée: Purée grapes in a blender set to medium speed until only small pieces of skin remain. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing and stirring solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard solids, add lemon juice, and refrigerate if not using immediately.

  2. For the Cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add bourbon, strained Concord grape purée, Cardamaro, and simple syrup. Shake until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled old fashioned glass.

Special Equipment

Blender, fine-mesh strainer, cocktail shaker, cocktail strainer

Notes

To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Freeze any unused portion of the Concord purée for longer-term storage. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

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