Autumn cocktails

Autumn is here, so now is the time to think about updating my repertoire of cocktails. The venerable Manhattan is a fall staple and has been discussed here at some length already. What are some other favorite cool weather drinks?

Two others I've come across recently: The Normandy and Apple Side Car.

Ooh, those sound great-- I will have to stop by TJ's to see if they still carry the "mixing-grade" Calvados, as the Apple Sidecar recipe is from 2007. Or do you have a preferred Calvados?

Jen

Pie-love wrote:Ooh, those sound great-- I will have to stop by TJ's to see if they still carry the "mixing-grade" Calvados, as the Apple Sidecar recipe is from 2007. Or do you have a preferred Calvados?

Jen

Unfortunately, I know almost nothing about Calvados. I happened to have most of a bottle of it in the cabinet and thought I should find a way to drink it. I can't recall the maker, but I remember it being in the $20-25 range at Binnys whenever I got it.

I love Applejack and maple syrup for fall, Angostura Orange bitters, too. An old fashioned that combines them all is pretty awesome.

Here's my favorite Fall Old Fashioned:

1.5 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
.5 oz Laird's Bonded Applejack
.25 oz (+/- to taste) Blis Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup
2 Dashes Bittercube Cherry Bark-Vanilla Bitters
1 Dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Add all but the Ango to a glass with ice, stir and strain over fresh big ice. Finish with the Ango Orange and a flamed orange peel, or just a swath expressed and stuck in the drink if you're not feeling pyrotechnic.

As the weather gets colder, I usually end up using more Applejack and less Rye.

I had a very nice cocktail at the Chicago Gourmet which was Maker's Mark (I think -- but it definitely was bourbon) and cider. I don't know what else was in it, but those two ingredients went very nicely together.

kl, I will definitely be picking up a bottle of applejack and giving that Manhattan recipe a shot. It sounds delicious.

Around this time of year I tend to go on a tear of drinking Maple Leaf cocktails. If you've never had one of these, you owe it to yourself to try one.

3 parts bourbon
1 part lemon juice
1 part maple syrup

Shake like hell, serve over ice.

Some of my favorites:

London Cocktail #2

* 1 1/2 oz rye whiskey
* 1/2 oz orgeat (I like Okole Maluna brand, it has fewer artificial ingredients)
* 2 dashes orange flower water
* 1 whole egg
* Nutmeg

Shake and strain, serve up, grate a bit of fresh nutmeg on top.

Cinder

* 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
* 1/2 oz Simple Syrup (mix 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water, and shake like hell to make simple syrup)
* 1/4 Los Amantes Joven mescal
* 1/2 oz Jalapeno-infused Blanco tequila (try Tanteo if you don't want to make your own)
* 1/2 oz Herradura Reposado tequila
* 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Shake and serve in a coupe glass that has half rim of 2 to 1 Smoked Salt / Kosher salt mix.

Slight Detour

* 1 oz. Herradura tequila reposado
* 1/2 oz. jalapeno-infused blanco tequila (try Tanteo if you don't want to make your own)
* 1/2 oz. Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio mezcal
* 1 barspoon agave nectar
* 2 dashes The Bitter Truth Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
* Orange twist

Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

The New England Daiquiri

* 2 oz Ron Zacapa 23 year old Rum
* 1/2 oz fresh Lemon Juice
* 2 tsp Maple Syrup
* 1 Dash Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Shake and serve up in a cocktail glass.

Opaka Raka

* 1 1/2 oz Junipero Gin (or Tanqueray)
* 1 1/2 oz Don's Spices #2 (Okole Maluna brand, or mix 1:1 vanilla syrup to pimento dram)
* 3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
* 1/4 oz Simple Syrup
* 1 dash Bittermens ‘Elemakule Tiki Bitters

Shake with ice and serve in a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

The Trinidad Sour

* 1 oz Angostura Aromatic bitters (remove the dasher to do this more easily)
* 1 oz orgeat
* 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 oz rye whiskey

Shake well with ice and fine strain in to a cocktail glass.

Here's my absolute favorite one, though it's a punch meant for 2-4 people, so you could probably halve the recipe. The pear-and-apple infused tequila keeps in the fridge for a while, as does the tea-infused vermouth.

Porfirian Punch

Cut 3 Bartlett pears and 1 Granny Smith apple into cubes (peels, cores and all), and place in a glass jar or container. Add 2 cloves and one cinnamon stick and one liter of Herradura Silver Tequila. Store for 6 days, shaking periodically. Double-strain all the fruit and spices out and keep refrigerated.

Take a 750ml bottle of Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth and infuse it with 3 heaping tablespoons (depends on the size of the bottle) of Market Spice tea brand (can buy the loose leaf on amazon.com or substitute any orange black tea) and let it sit for 1 1/2 hours. Strain and keep refrigerated.

For the punch itself:
* 9 white sugar cubes
* 3 oz club soda
* 1.5 oz market spice tea-infused Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
* 1.5 oz Manzanilla sherry
* 3 oz fresh lemon juice
* 6 oz pear-infused Herradura Silver Tequila
* 6 oz club soda (yes, we need this ingredient twice)

In a measuring cup, muddle sugar cubes with club soda (reserving 6 oz for later) until dissolved, then add rest of ingredients. Stir constantly to combine, add ice, then stir & strain into a punch bowl. Garnish with thin slices of pear.

Wow, lots of new ideas!

I think I got the idea online somewhere, but I can't remember where for the life of me. This is a tasty little mix and dead simple to make.

4 oz apple cider
4 oz ginger beer
2 oz rum

Mix, chill, and serve on ice in a tall glass.

I don't have the recipe, but the Sazerac at Autre Monde in Berwyn that I had last night hit the spot perfectly on a chilly, windy evening.

Perennial Virant was serving an apple and rum "Paul's Brunch Punch" last weekend that was stunningly good - not sure how often they change the punch but I'd love to have it again.

I'm rather a fan of bitter drinks and I've really been enjoying the Cynar Flip lately. Ridiculously easy to make and great for cooler weather. It's creamy and smooth from the egg, with bitter and chocolate notes from the Cynar. (The egg really brings out the minor chocolate notes in the Cynar.)

Cynar Flip

2 oz Cynar
1 whole egg

Shake like crazy with ice, serve up.

The chocolate notes from the Cynar Flip gave me an idea to try a variation on a chocolate martini with Cynar, and I think I came up with a pretty good one. It's definitely chocolate, and there is some sweetness, but it's not one of those cloyingly sweet concoctions. The Cynar gives it more of a dark chocolate flavor. (And if you're looking for more sweet and less bitter, you could swap the proportions of the Cynar and creme de cacao.)

Dark Chocolate Martini

1 oz vodka (I used Tito's)
1 oz Cynar
1/2 oz creme de cacao

Stir with ice, serve up, garnish with an amarena or brandied cherry.