Tequila Transfusion: A Juicy Twist on Golf’s Favorite Grape and Ginger Cocktail

(Photo: ING Studio1985/Shutterstock)

What, you might ask, makes a great golf cocktail?

Over the years, institutions like the PGA Championship, Memorial Tournament and U.S. Open have attempted to canonize various drinks as the definitive golf-side sipper. Chances are, you’ll recognize most of the usual suspects; easy-going recipes like the Arnold Palmer, Azalea and Lemon Wedge, endorsed regularly by professionals off (and occasionally on) the field.

Year after year, one brightly colored concoction rises above them all: the ominously named Transfusion.

Though its exact origins are unknown, it’s said to have been a favorite of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. According to Eisenhower, the former president himself invented the simple mix of vodka, grape juice and ginger ale while swinging shots at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

To this day, the Augusta National Golf Club — which hosts the annual Masters Golf Tournament, one of the “Big Four” — serves the Transfusion as its signature cocktail.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (L) acknowledges the gallery after the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 9, 2023. (Photo: Kyodo/AP Images)

Equal parts juicy, boozy and hydrating, it’s easy to understand why this highball recipe has become a fan favorite for golfers sweltering under the summer sun. So why not transfuse a little tequila into the equation?

Aside from the usual assortment of grape-based distilled drinks — wine, brandy, etc. — grape juice isn’t that common a sight in the cocktail scene. Its rich darkened flavor tends to overpower lighter ingredients, and, as such, requires a strong mixer like ginger ale to even out its palate.

You’ll also find many Transfusion recipes mixed with a healthy dose of fresh lime, a common sight in Moscow Mules as well as pretty much every tequila cocktail in existence.

Adding up all the influences, we’ve put together a tequila-based Transfusion recipe perfect for your next hole-in-one:

The Tequila Transfusion

Ingredients

• 3 oz Tequila Reposado
• 1 1/2 oz Grape Juice
• 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• Ginger Ale
• Frozen Grapes and Lime Wedge, for garnish

Directions

1. (Optional) Freeze grapes overnight.
2. Add tequila, grape juice and lime juice into a shaker, shaking for 15-20 seconds.
3. Pour into a highball glass filled with plenty of pebble ice.
4. Fill the rest of the glass with ginger beer.
5. Top off with lime wedge and frozen grapes.

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