Fall is the time when the grapes are ripe, and the grape harvest makes fresh grape juice and wines. As many of you know, I don’t drink wine, anymore, but I do love a good crisp glass of grape juice every now and then. Even better is to make a fizzy and refreshing grape float, which I only recently discovered was sometimes referred to as a Purple Cow. This float—like most floats, actually—can either be a yummy afternoon snack on a warm Indian summer day or it can be an elegant and fun dessert. It really all depends on the glass you put it in!
I like to use Cascadian Farms organic grape juice from concentrate, since it tastes so fresh and good. Make a container of it according to the instructions (three containers of water mixed with one container of concentrate).
To make frozen grapes for the garnish, take a bunch of organic grapes, wash them, set them on a cookie tray, and freeze them. When they are frozen, you can put them in a glass jar or plastic bag. They make a great snack as well as a fun garnish for this float.
Fizzy Grape Float (or Purple Cow)
Ingredients:
- Organic grape juice
- Sparkling water
- Ice
- Vanilla ice cream
- Frozen grapes (optional)
Directions:
1. Fill a glass halfway with ice.
2. Fill 2/3 of the glass with grape juice.
3. Fill the rest of the glass with sparkling water.
4. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
5. Garnish with frozen grapes.
6. Insert a straw, and float away!
In the Cincinnati, OH area, in the 1960s, we had orange, pink, brown, and black cows, as well as the purple cows. The Uncle Al Show, a children’s television show that promoted Barq’s Soft Drinks, showed kids how to make the various cows and they were part of being an “Ohio Buckeye.” Thanks for the walk down memory lane.