Is your home bar ready for Fall? If not, we have you covered! Plus, this orange jewel is the Domaine Santé take on an infamous Food Network cocktail created by one of the founders. We encourage you to stop into the US Grant and try the original, then make your own using our natural sweetener and compare for yourself!

BLEND USED: All-Sass California Grape Nectar 

Tasting attributes: The Gewurztraminer grapes add a floral finish to this slightly spicy and aromatic cocktail

Chances are, if you live in San Diego, you have stopped into the US Grant Hotel during the holiday season and have tried their infamous Smashing Pumpkin martini. Brilliantly orange and full of holiday cheer, this cocktail is one of kind and also one of the founder’s claim to fame. Jeff Josenhans was featured on Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” back in 2011 and we have brought this gem back to life. Check out the full video and how this cocktail came to be!

As with all classics, we like to add a Grape Nectar twist with our sugar alternative, and this cocktail is no exception. Staying true to the flavors of the season and pumpkin shade of orange, we cut out the manual labor and sugar of the original. California grapes offer a natural sweetener alternative to sugary drinks. Fall in a glass with our natural sugar alternative!

This cocktail does take a touch more prep time than any of our previous cocktail posts, but we promise it is worthwhile. Make this drink 3-4 days ahead and you will have a robust, slightly spicy, and slightly sweet delight for your guests or to have on hand throughout the season. The best part is, you probably already have all these ingredients in your kitchen. And if you need to stock up on Grape Nectar, we can help you out with our large size here.

As always, Grape Nectar offers an elegant sweetness to your cocktail without any added refined sugar. Both of our white blends would add a unique element, yet we prefer the bright floral finish of our All-Sass Riesling blend. Grape sugar works as the perfect sweetening agent to balance out the spicy notes of the ginger, allspice, and cardamom. Top this cocktail with any of your favorite fall spices to give an elegant, yet rustic look. We love the look of star anise on top!

For pumpkin spice lovers and grape nectar aficionados alike, our Smashing Pumpkin 2.0 delivers new flavor to the US Grant classic. Either way you choose, we encourage you to #DrinkBetter this holiday season!

SMASHING PUMPKIN 2.0 RECIPE

Difficulty 

Medium

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp candied ginger
• pinch of saffron
• 1.5 oz white rum
• 1 oz Gran Marnier or Cointreau Noir
• 1 oz All-Sass California Grape Nectar
• 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3 dashes cardamom bitters

Preparation

1. In a small glass jar, first four ingredients, including the rum. Infuse for 3-4 days. Strain spices out and store.
2. When ready to drink, shake rum and remaining ingredients vigorously with ice in a Boston shaker.
3. Strain into a martini glass and top with a fall spice

Get your Grape Nectar now!