Transfusion Cocktail Recipe

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Kevin Gray is a Dallas writer specializing in food, drinks and travel. He’s been covering spirits and cocktails since 2009.

Learn about Liquor.com's Editorial Process Updated 06/10/23 54 ratings Write a Review Add a comment Save

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Over the years, the preferred cocktail at golf clubs nationwide has become the Transfusion, a refreshing drink made with vodka, ginger ale and grape juice. The cocktail is easy to make and drink and can be ordered after your round or batched in a thermos and stowed for later. Grape juice lends sweetness, a hint of fruit and some much-needed electrolytes to the drink, while the ginger ale adds a pleasant bite and effervescence.

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.

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• 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.

*Concord grape juice ice cubes: Fill an ice cube tray with Concord grape juice and place in the freezer until completely frozen.

Why Is the Transfusion a Golf Drink?

While the cocktail's origin is unknown, its popularity within the golf community is partly due to it being served at the Augusta National Golf Club—a prestigious country club and host to the annual Masters Golf Tournament. Supposedly, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a fan of the drink, consuming Transfusions at his preferred country club in Palm Desert, California, after his presidency.

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