Grape juice has been tagged a kiddie drink but this mocktail may change your perspective. Fresh grapes – the most intense, dark ones you can find – are muddled with Elderberry Infused Maple and lime juice. The resulting taste is the opposite of a frivolous summer drink. It is sweet but not cloying. The earthy essence of the elderberry takes the grape flavor into a moody and contemplative place while the lime juice gives it some acidic balance. This is a drink for sitting back and watching the season change. For contemplating the passing of time. What does it all mean!?

Kafka’s Mocktail
30 grapes
1 oz Runamok Elderberry Infused Maple Syrup
½ oz fresh lime juice
Seltzer
Ice
fresh tarragon (optional)
Place the grapes in a tumbler and crush them (I use a citrus reamer). Add the Elderberry Infused Maple Syrup and lime juice and continue to mash the grapes until you have rendered all of the juice you can from them. Alternatively, you can put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse. Strain the liquid into a glass filled with ice, pressing out as much from the solids as possible. Top with seltzer and a sprig of tarragon (optional) and serve.