Transfusion

This twist by New York bartender Bryan Schneider skips the ginger ale and calls for club soda and homemade ginger syrup. It also employs ice cubes made from Concord grape juice that slowly infuse the drink with grape flavor as they melt. To make the cubes, Schneider fills an ice cube tray with Concord grape juice and places it in the freezer until the cubes are frozen solid. Make your cubes in advance so the ice is fully frozen when you're ready to shake together the remaining ingredients.

Enlist this cocktail in the morning if you need a transfusion of curative liquids to restore your faculties after a long night. Or make a batch before your next outdoor experience, whether you're playing 18 holes or just taking a walk in the park.

• Concord grape juice ice cubes*
• 2 ounces vodka
• 1/2 ounce ginger syrup
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 ounces club soda, chilled
• Garnish: concord grapes
• Garnish: crystallized ginger

1. Add the vodka, ginger syrup and lime juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a rocks glass over Concord grape juice ice cubes.
3. Top with the club soda.
4. Garnish with Concord grapes and a piece of crystallized ginger on a cocktail skewer.