Look, if you were hoping for a two-thousand word preamble about life, happiness, and travel, you are in the wrong place. If you want some tips & tricks along with a few tested recipes to launch you in the right direction, here you are.
Verjus' magic is in its versatility.
Let's start by talking about acid. If you weren't already aware, sour ingredients are just as essential to cooking as salt. Shout-out to Samin Nosrat's book Salt Fat Acid Heat. Really, her book contains most of what you need to know to make the most of verjus. (Verjus even makes it into her wheel chart "World of Acid!") Whether you are using verjus, vinegar, citrus, (tomatoes, pickles, kimchi... etc.), sour ingredients are 100% essential for creating lively, vibrant food. Now, think of your different tangy ingredients as colors on a palette. Each one can serve a different purpose, but all will help your flavors and textures to pop.
Here's a couple general guidelines where verjus can be a versatile tool for cooking
In general, early season and late harvest verjus can be swapped in a recipe. Note that our late harvest verjus is sweeter, so adjust your recipes accordingly.
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons early season verjus
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. Combine verjus, shallot, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until the mixture is combined and no lumps of mayonnaise remain.
2. Place oil in a small measuring cup so it is easy to pour. Whisking constantly, gradually drizzle the oil into vinegar mixture. The vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened with no pools of oil on its surface.
Ingredients
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons early season verjus
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
Whisk all ingredients together. I advise adding the verjus gradually to keep the mayonnaise from breaking.
Notes
Great with sandwiches, burgers, chicken, fish, rice bowls, etc. This sauce can really tie a dish together.
Super customizable. Try adding minced garlic, chopped green chilis, or explore your spice cabinet. Additionally, try swapping out some of the mayo for greek yogurt.
Ingredients
1 cup early season verjus
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red chili flake (optional)
1/2 cup thinly sliced veggies (like cucumber)
Instructions
In a bowl, combine verjus, salt, sugar, and chili flake. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Add vegetables to the dressing and let marinade at least 5 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Notes
Great with cucumbers, cabbage, red onion, etc. Feel free to add other pickling spices to customize.
Ingredients
1 cup late harvest verjus
1/2 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
1. Toast everything bagel seasoning in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant.
2. Add toasted seasoning to verjus, add salt, and stir. Cover and store in fridge. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.
Notes
Variation on the quick pickling dressing. Great easy sauce. Perfect for dipping spring rolls, sushi, or drizzling over Korean barbecue. Try substituting the salt with 1 teaspoon soy sauce for an umami forward ponzu.
Just like in food, acidity in drinks is incredibly important. Tart drinks are more food friendly. The tang makes your mouth water, which in turn stimulates appetite and improves taste. Verjus' greatest power the way it contributes acidity to drinks.
Verjus is incredibly versatile and we encourage your own exploration. That being said, we are happy to provide a few pointers to help you on your journey.
Non-Alcoholic Uses: Verjus is naturally non-alcoholic. We find it really shines in spirit-free drinks.
Why do most restaurant "mocktails" and "non-alcoholic" options leave you disappointed? Two reasons.
Verjus is pressed from wine grapes with very little modification. This results in an ingredient with a natural balance of sweet, sour, and weight. Rather than making another jazzed-up lemonade, verjus acts like a fine wine with nuance and complexity.
Verjus' best role is as a "sneaky" acid, allowing the other ingredients to shine.
Like to craft your own drinks? Here's some pro-tips: Verjus creates a family of cocktails all its own. Verjus' unique acidity plays in cocktails unlike lemon juice or lime juice. Where citrus juice likes playing the lead role in a drink, verjus is content as a supporting actor. Its nuances allows the other ingredients around it truly shine.
While verjus is extremely versatile, we particularly love verjus paired with fresh fruits, herbs, and teas. When opening up the liquor cabinet, start with herbaceous gins, vegetal mezcals or grape-based spirits like brandy or pisco. Vermouths and bitter apertivos also blend beautifully with verjus.
Again, verjus won't quite hold up as a direct substitute to citrus juice. Trust me, your margarita won't taste like a margarita if you use verjus, and that's okay! Verjus is its own animal. Would you make a margarita with bourbon? Didn't think so.
Verjus provides a wonderful wine-like backbone to beverages when you are in the mood for something spirit-free. Here's a couple suggestions for refreshing and intriguing spirit-free beverages.
Ingredients
1.5 oz herb syrup (see below)
3 oz early season verjus
3 oz soda water
Combine all ingredients in a tall glass. Stir and add ice.
For Herb Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 bunch mixed fresh herbs
(choose your favorites)
Instructions
Add sugar and water to a small sauce pan. Heat on low. Stir occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add herbs into the syrup and allow to steep. Keep on low heat for 30-45 minutes, taking care not to let the syup boil.
Take off heat and let cool, with herbs remaining in pot. Strain and store in fridge up to 30 days.
Notes
Have fun with the herbs! We just recommend avoiding herbs like dill or chives. Mint, basil, parsley, oregano, fennel, thyme, and rosemary all work wonderfully.
Ingredients
3 oz late harvest verjus
3 oz soda water
1 cucumber wheel
Ice (optional)
Vessel: Wine Glass
Instructions
Pour verjus and soda water into a wine glass. Give a nice stir. Add ice, if desired. Garnish with a fresh cucumber wheel. Or try a sprig of fresh mint.
Notes
For this recipe, the sweetness of late harvest verjus is essential. If using the early season verjus, we recommend adding 1.5 oz of simple syrup.
Ingredients
1 oz late harvest verjus
1 oz botanical zero-proof spirit (ie Seedlip Garden 108)
1 oz zero-proof apertivo (ie Lyre Italian Orange)
1 orange peel
Vessel: Rocks Glass
Instructions
Combine gin, apertivo, and verjus into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass. Add ice. Garnish with an orange peel.
Ingredients
2 oz early season verjus
1.5 oz late harvest verjus
0.75 oz botanical zero-proof spirit (ie Seedlip Garden 108)
0.5 oz zero-proof apertivo (ie Lyre Italian Orange)
Apple slice or fresh berries
Ice
Vessel: Wine Glass
Instructions
Combine all ingredients into a wine glass. Give a nice stir. Add ice. Garnish with fresh fruit for the signature sangria look.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
2 cups early season verjus
1.5 cups late harvest verjus
0.75 cup botanical zero-proof spirit (ie Seedlip Garden 108)
0.5 cup zero-proof apertivo (ie Lyre Italian Orange)
Apple slices or fresh berries
Ice
Vessel: Pitcher and Wine Glasses
Instructions
Combine all ingredients into a pitcher. Give a nice stir and store in fridge until ready to serve. To serve, add ice to each wine glass. Garnish glasses with fresh fruit.
Sometimes moderation is best. The weight and texture of verjus works wonderfully to blend into these classic cocktails. These variations hit the mark, and you'll thank yourself in the morning.
Ingredients
1.5 oz gin or vodka
0.75 oz early season verjus
0.75 oz dry vermouth
Lemon Balm or Olives
Vessel: Chilled Coupe
Instructions
Place coupe in freezer or fill coupe with ice and water to chill. Combine gin or vodka, verjus, and dry vermouth in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into your chilled coupe and garnish with a fresh leaf of lemon balm or a skewer of olives.
Notes
Standard Martini ABV: 33%
Our Low Proof Riff ABV: 22%
We recommend a high quality dry vermouth for this build.
You can adapt this into a dirty martini. Simply add 0.25-0.5 oz olive brine and shake instead of stir.
Ingredients
1.5 oz rye whiskey
0.75 oz early season verjus
0.75 oz sweet vermouth
3 dashes angostura bitters
cocktail cherry
Vessel: chilled coupe
Instructions
Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into coupe. Garnish with cocktail cherry
Notes
Standard Manhattan ABV: 32%
Our Low Proof Riff ABV: 24%
With verjus, we can create a new family of cocktails. Drinks made with verjus can be bright and balanced without being juicy. They can also be textural and rounded without being flabby or overly boozy. Here are a few of our favorites.
Ingredients
2.0 oz Colorado gin
1.0 oz early season verjus
0.25 oz Colorado honey syrup
(see notes)
1 sprig lemon balm
Vessel: chilled coupe
Instructions
Place coupe in freezer or fill coupe with ice and water to chill. Combine gin, verjus, and honey syrup in a shaker tin with ice. Shake and strain into your chilled coupe and garnish with a fresh leaf of lemon balm.
For Colorado Honey Syrup
Combine 3 parts honey with 1 part hot water. Stir to dissolve. This will help mix your honey into your cocktail.
Ingredients
1.25 oz gin
0.25 oz Suze gentian liqueur
4 oz herb soda (see above)
1 herb sprig
Vessel: collins glass
Instructions
Mix herb soda into a pitcher and set aside. Combine gin and suze in a collins glass with ice. Top with herb soda and stir. Garnish with an herb sprig of your choosing.
Ingredients
1 oz mezcal
0.75 oz early season verjus
0.75 oz Vino Salida bianco vermouth
0.5 oz herbal liqueur
5 drops saline solution (10%)
1 radish slice
Vessel: chilled coupe
Instructions
Combine all ingredients into mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a slice of radish.
For saline solution
Combine 1 part sugar to 10 parts warm water. Stir to dissolve. Store in eye dropper bottle.
