Snap Dog – Engel Grape Eau de Vie
Some time ago, I had the idea of combining an unaged grape eau de vie with elderflower in a sour-style cocktail. I was thinking of a Snap Dragon meets Pisco Sour kind of drink. Fortunately, my friend Manuel Engel provided me with his grape eau de vie.
Manuel made this eau de vie using Grenache Noir grapes from southern France. These grapes are from the area around Carcassonne. Harvested in 2019, the grapes had to withstand extreme heat, drought and strong winds. Manuel distilled the grapes in his Tyrolean-style still and bottled the eau de vie at 42% ABV.
Piscoesque
The unaged brandy clearly reminds me of pisco, with its distinct grape flavour. There are also a few spices coming through. Towards the aftertaste, a certain menthol note develops alongside hints of freshly cut grass. with hints of fresh cut grass. Overall, I really enjoyed this unaged grape brandy!
A simple sour
1,5 cl St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
3 cl Lemon Juice
1,5 cl Agave Syrup
Garnish: Lemon Twist;
Song: Grenada – Snap Dog;
The drink opens with a beautiful blend of elderflower notes and a distinct ‘distilled grape’ flavour. As previously mentioned, it clearly reminded me of an elaborate Pisco Sour. Finally, the agave syrup gives it a beautiful texture. All in all, the ‘Snap Dog’ is the perfect drink for warm days and evenings!
*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product. I received the eau de vie for free from Manuel Engel.
