The Cascade Cocktail is an extremely sweet cocktail that tastes like blackcurrant (or raisins) with hints of grape and spice. I find it too cloyingly sweet, so I added gin, which takes the sweetness down a notch. Still sweet, but less so, and with some herbal and citrus notes in the background.
This is a really easy cocktail to make – no shaking, no garnish, nothing fancy. You can just leave out the gin if you like it really sweet.
Whichever recipe you use, the instructions remain the same: pour the ingredients into a glass, stir. That makes it perfect to serve big batch style in a pitcher for guests or for an easy going night in when you can’t be bothered to make a drink that takes much work.
The trick with this one is to chill the ingredients beforehand so no ice is required. If you’re being spontaneous and don’t have time for that, first pour the ingredients into a mixing glass full of ice. Stir for 15 seconds to chill, and then strain it into your drinking glass.
Because it’s sweet, that makes it a good after dinner drink. It contrasts nicely with a salty snack like nuts or pretzels, or a savory snack like brie cheese. It’s a little intense for most meals, but if you have it with something that’s overly flavorful – like a grilled fish or pasta with an oil-based sauce – it can work. Well, basically it will work with anything you’d drink grape soda with.
Cascade Cocktail
The Cascade Cocktail is an extremely sweet cocktail that tastes like blackcurrant (or raisins) with hints of grape and spice. This version adds gin to make it a bit less sweet and add some delicious herbal notes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
- 1 1/2 ounces creme de cassis
- 1 ounce gin
Instructions
- Pour the chilled ingredients into an old-fashioned glass.
- Stir and serve.
Notes
If you don't have chilled ingredients on hand, you can first stir the ingredients together in a mixing glass full of ice and then strain it into the drinking glass.