Crisp sparkling aperitif

Pale Compass

42 minutes total · Easy · Makes 2

Green grape, toasted fennel and cucumber make a crisp, lightly savoury sparkler with a clean lemon finish.

12 minutes to mix30 minutes to chill2 finished drinks

What you’ll need

Toast the fennel seeds in a dry small pan over medium heat for 45 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant, then cool completely.
Place the chilled grapes and cooled fennel seeds in a shaker and muddle firmly until the grapes release their juice.
Add the white grape juice, lemon juice, agave, salt and a generous handful of ice. Shake hard for 12 seconds.
Double-strain through the shaker strainer and a fine-mesh sieve into a small chilled pitcher to remove grape skins and fennel fragments.
Add the cold sparkling water and stir once, gently, to combine without flattening the bubbles.

The glass, temperature and first aroma all shape the drink. Set those details before the final pour.

Chill two small stemmed coupe glasses for at least 30 minutes before mixing.
Serve without ice so the drink stays silky and the pale green colour remains clear.
Pour the finished drink evenly into the cold glasses at about 4°C to 6°C.
Curl one cucumber ribbon inside the rim of each glass and rest one chilled green grape against it.
Garnish only after pouring and serve within two minutes while the bubbles are lively.

At the table

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Estimated per drink

Grapes provide the drink's natural sweetness, allowing the added agave to stay modest; values are estimates and vary with juice and fruit size.

Estimates vary with ingredient brands, substitutions and serving size.