Image: Gingered Apple Sparkler | Food and Wine
As the colder weather approaches, it’s going to start warming up in your stomach with the help of these delicious cocktails, to make or have someone else make for you! Though I’m as fond of a cold glass of sangria or a Kentucky mule on a hot day, I’m ready for something darker, smokier, and very warming. So what indulgences should you make this fall? Here are a few ideas.
- The Stone Wall. This delicious creature is a concoction of different ingredients that are sure to warm your senses right up.
1 piece of fresh, peeled, and sliced ginger
1 ½ teaspoons of simple syrup, homemade or purchased
1 ½ ounces of rum
1 ½ ounches of apple cider
1 ½ ounces of chilled ginger beer
Lime or apple wedges to garnish!
- Hot Mulled Cider. Is there anything more indicatory of autumn than apple cider? Warm, slightly spiced, and fresh, cider just might be the happiest beverage out there. This recipe has a lot of ingredients, but each one is essential to create the right feeling.
1 gallon of apple cider
¾ cup of dry white wine
¼ cup of honey
2 quince, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 rosemary sprig
Two broken cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
1 star anise
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 45 minutes. When it smells just right, strain the solids from the liquid, and serve warm.
- The English Harvest. This cocktail boasts some interesting ingredients that come together to create a perfect signature drink.
1 ounce London dry gin
2/4 ounce apple brandy
¾ ounce of dry vermouth
2/4 ounce unfiltered apple juice
¼ orgeat, an almond-flavored syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters
A spiral twist of orange or lemon rind, if desired
- Gingered Apple Sparkler. This happy drink would be perfect for holiday parties, Thanksgiving dinner, or to serve at New Year’s. Serve in a highball glass for maximum visual effect.
Ice
1 ½ ounces citrus voska
1 ½ ounces sour apple liqueur
A splash of Angostura bitters
4 ounces of chilled ginger beer
A maraschino cherry (or regular cherry if you, like me, think maraschinos are evil)
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the vodka, bitters, and liqueur. Shake and strain into a glass, then decorate with what will hopefully be an authentic, earth-grown cherry.
- Gaelic Punch. Personally, I find a lot of cocktails too sweet for my liking, so I tend to stick to robust, hearty liquors like scotch and whiskey. This kicking cocktail is right up my alley.
¾ cup of raw sugar
40 ounces of boiling water
1 750-ml bottle of Irish whiskey
Strips of zest from 6 lemons, plus 6 thin slices of lemon, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg to garnish. Stud the fruit slices with cloves if you’re feeling fancy.
Muddle the lemon zest and sugar in a heatproof bowl and let stand for 1-2 hours. Then, muddle again and add 8 ounces of the boiling water to dissolve the sugar. Strain into a warm heatproof bowl and stir in the whiskey, then garnish to your heart’s content.
Enjoy, everybody! Recipes taken from Food and Wine.
