new era · shaken
Russian Spring Punch recipe
Vodka, lemon and cassis lengthened with sparkling wine.
A Russian Spring Punch is 25 ml (23.5 g) Vodka, 25 ml (25.8 g) Fresh Lemon Juice, 15 ml (17.3 g) Crème de Cassis, 10 ml (11.1 g) Sugar Syrup and 60 ml (59.4 g) Sparkling Wine, shaken and served in a highball glass. It pours to about 135 ml before ice, at roughly 15% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasshighball glass
- Methodshaken
- Pour volume135 ml
- Strength (est.)15% ABV
- Time5 min
Russian Spring Punch ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodka | 25 ml | 23.5 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Fresh Lemon Juice | 25 ml | 25.8 g | 1.03 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Crème de Cassis | 15 ml | 17.3 g | 1.15 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Sugar Syrup | 10 ml | 11.1 g | 1.11 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Sparkling Wine | 60 ml | 59.4 g | 0.99 | Top with sparkling wine |
How to make a Russian Spring Punch
- Set your highball glass on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Add Vodka, Fresh Lemon Juice, Crème de Cassis and Sugar Syrup to a shaker, weighing each ingredient rather than eyeballing a jigger.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled highball glass.
- Top with Sparkling Wine and give it one gentle lift with a bar spoon — never stir the bubbles out.
Russian Spring Punch: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Russian Spring Punch?
Roughly 15% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Medium strength. About the same as a fortified wine, poured short.
What glass should a Russian Spring Punch be served in?
A highball glass. Fill it with fresh ice, not the ice you mixed with.
Can I make a Russian Spring Punch without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
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