Welcome to Clubhouse Eats, where we celebrate the game’s most delectable food and drink. Hope you brought your appetite.
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If you play golf and you’re of legal drinking age, chances are you’ve enjoyed the occasional Transfusion out on the course. A mixture of grape juice, ginger ale and vodka, the beverage was popular with President Dwight D. Eisenhower — an avid golfer, himself — so we know it’s been around at least since the mid-1950s.
We also know — or can confidently assume, anyway — that the drink was concocted as a “hair of the dog” hangover remedy, thus its clever name. After all, the vodka is likely to soften a headache (at least temporarily), the grape juice is a source of much-needed electrolytes, and the ginger ale can aid in settling an upset stomach.
That’s all we really know about the cocktail’s history; however, there’s plenty to talk about in regards to the drink today. Most notably, more and more golf clubs are putting their own spin on the classic recipe, creating beverages that riff on nostalgia, while delivering refreshment in contemporary ways. Here, we share advice from several beverage directors (including some of their recipes), giving you a championship-worthy playbook for concocting unique Transfusions of your own.
A taste of childhood
“The possibilities are endless,” says Wendy Wilroy, the director of food and beverage at Deerfield Golf Club in Delaware. “Don’t be afraid to switch up the juice — pomegranate, blueberry, blackberry, cranberry or white grape juice all make great alternatives. And any variation that includes a fizzy mixer like ginger beer, tonic water or lemon-lime soda that’s paired with grape or a similar juice and a base spirit can still be considered a riff on the Transfusion. There’s plenty of room to play while still honoring the original.”
To prove just how much room there is, Wilroy has concocted a PB&J Transfusion that relies on Skrewball Whiskey in place of vodka. (To make it, in a pint glass, combine two ounces of Skrewball with two ounces of grape juice, fill with ice and then top with ginger ale.) Pairing it with an Uncrustable, she says, creates “the ultimate grown-up throwback.”
Kicking it up a notch
At Canyon Creek Country Club in Texas, master mixologist Ben Chavez serves up nostalgia with his own twist on a Transfusion — one that substitutes grape juice for a pomegranate-enhanced syrup and is served in a re-sealable pouch. “It’s like a spiked Capri Sun!” he says of his creation, The Pomfusion.
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As Chavez acknowledges, the drink’s recipe — a mixture of 1.5 ounces of vodka, one ounce of a pomegranate-infused tincture syrup, half an ounce of lime juice, three dashes of Scappy’s Firewater bitters, and a top off of ginger beer — is still an homage to the classic, but it’s packed with powerful antioxidants and nutrients. “It’s super refreshing, easy on the palate,” he says, “and it’s got a kick.”
At the Rosewood Mayakoba, the signature cocktail is one of a kind
Kelly explains that grape juice works so well in the original cocktail because it’s sweet and easy to drink; however, she acknowledges that you can find that same character in other fruit juices. “Blueberry or pomegranate are natural choices,” she says, “while plum, elderberry or even watermelon can offer a fresh take that still feels true to the original.”
The drink’s other defining flavor is ginger — usually incorporated through the use of ginger ale — but Kelly suggests focusing on the root (ha!) of that flavor. “Think about that as simply ginger,” she advises, “and you open the door to ginger beer for more spice, ginger syrups for depth or fresh ginger for brightness, whichever pairs best with your chosen fruit.”
From there, you can add even more unique twists based on the flavors that might be popular for a particular time of year. Says Kelly: “Once you have your berry and ginger foundation, spices and herbs can bring in seasonality without losing the essence of a Transfusion.”
