This grape gin sour is bright, fruity, and perfect for late summer. Muddled Concord grapes, crisp gin, and fresh lemon come together in one beautiful, jewel-toned cocktail worth celebrating the season with.

A pink cocktail in a glass, garnished with grapes on a skewer, sits beside a gin bottle, lemon slices, and loose grapes on a white surface. — Gin is one of my favorite spirits to mix with because it works so well with bright, fresh flavors.

This grape gin sour is what I reach for when the first Concord grapes show up at the end of summer. It's bright, fruity, and just a little special, the kind of cocktail that feels like a celebration of the season in a glass. I love pouring this one when I want something that tastes like early fall but still feels fresh and lively.

The flavor is all about those grapes. Muddling fresh Concord grapes right into the shaker gives the drink a deep, jammy sweetness and a gorgeous jewel-toned pink color that's as pretty as it is delicious. Gin adds a crisp, botanical backbone, a little simple syrup rounds things out, and lemon brings just enough brightness to keep it balanced. I use a touch less lemon than in a typical sour, because I learned in recipe testing that the grapes bring plenty of their own acidity, and pulling back the lemon lets that grape flavor really shine. You get sweet and tart, fruity and crisp, all in one beautiful sip.

And it comes together easily. A quick muddle, a good shake, and a strain into a chilled coupe, then a skewer of sugared grapes on top, and your grape gin sour is ready to enjoy.

Another seasonal sour you might enjoy is my sage gin sour.

Concord Grape Gin Sour

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A bright and fruity grape gin sour made with muddled Concord grapes, gin, fresh lemon, and simple syrup. Served in a coupe with a skewer of sugared grapes.

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Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings: 1 cocktail

Course: Cocktail

Ingredients

Sugared Grape Garnish

Concord grapes see notes
Simple syrup
Granulated sugar

Concord Grape Gin Sour

¼ cup concord grapes
2 ounces gin
1 ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce lemon juice

Method

Place a few grapes in a small bowl and pour a little simple syrup over top to wet them. Remove them from the syrup, place them in another small bowl, pour a little granulated sugar over, and shake the bowl so the sugar coats the grapes. Skewer the grapes on a cocktail pick - I like to alternate sugared grapes with fresh grapes.
Concord grapes, Simple syrup, Granulated sugar
Muddle the grapes in a cocktail shaker.
¼ cup concord grapes
Add the gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, and a scoop of ice, and shake until cold.
2 ounces gin, 1 ounce simple syrup, ¾ ounce lemon juice
Double strain into a coupe glass, then garnish with the skewered grapes.

Notes

I've purposely omitted the quantities in the sugared grape garnish, as you can make as many or as few as you'd like. You only need a small amount of simple syrup and granulated sugar.