Eric Bennett has something of a soda obsession. At The Louis, the bar he manages inside Birmingham’s new Pizitz Food Hall, there are sixteen different choices, including a pair of north-Alabama favorites: Buffalo Rock, a super-spicy ginger ale, and Grapico, a century-old deep-purple grape soda that’s been a favorite of Bennett’s since he was he was a kid. “I love the stuff,” he says, “but the whole thing about Grapico is that it’s crazy sweet.” Bennett’s The Land of G… features a set of strong flavors that can hold up to Grapico’s sugary punch, including Cynar, a bitter Italian liqueur flavored with artichokes of all things. (Oh, and that name? It’s in honor of a promotional song from 1916 called “Meet Me in the Land of Grapico,” for which the brand actually gave away free copies of sheet music.)
Recipe
Alabama’s Grapico Gets the Cocktail Treatment
Makes 1 Cocktail
A sophisticated boozy spin on a classic grape soda
photo: Margaret Houston
Ingredients
The Land of G...
0.75 oz. Gin
0.75 oz. Bourbon
0.5 oz. Lemon juice
0.75 oz. Cynar
2 oz. Grapico
Garnish: Lemon twist
Preparation
Add all the ingredients except the Grapico to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with the Grapico, stir briefly, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Recipe from Eric Bennett of Pizitz Food Hall in Birmingham, Alabama.
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