From: Chef Scott Samuel. Yield: 8 servings, 8 oz. each.

6 cups black seedless grapes
½ cup tamarind paste
900 ml filtered water
¼ cup palm sugar
½ cup mint, stemmed
3½ Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups red, green and black grapes for skewer garnish
as needed for garnish, mint

Add 300 ml. of the water to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add tamarind paste and palm sugar, and stir to break apart any chunks as they melt. Bring the mixture to a boil, and add mint.

Turn off heat and allow mint to steep for about 5 minutes. Pour mixture through a sieve and press the pulp to extract all the juice; discard remaining pulp. Pour strained liquid into a pitcher.

Put 6 cups of black grapes into a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour grape juice through a sieve and press the skins to extract juices and some of the pulp into a container. Discard leftover skins and pulp, and pour strained juice into the pitcher with the tamarind base.

Add remainder of the water and lemon juice into the pitcher and stir well. Taste and adjust acid or sugar if needed.

Put ice in a glass and pour in the black grape lemonade. Garnish with a grape skewer and spring of mint. Serve.

Note: This drink can also be served with a skewer of frozen grapes. For an alcoholic version, add 200 ml vodka to the grape lemonade.