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 my own variation (Recipe #2) which waters those two ingredients down with gin. 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. 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.
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.
Recipe #1
- 2 ounces sweet vermouth
- 2 ounces creme de cassis
Recipe #2 {MixThatDrink Version}
- 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
- 1 1/2 ounces creme de cassis
- 1 ounce gin
Pour the ingredients into an old-fashioned glass and stir.