(Apple) Cider House Rules

Once October hits fall is officially in full swing. Gone are the fresh cherries, peaches and berries from your local farmers market, newly replaced by every kind of apple and pear imaginable. It’s hard not to love the colors in the trees and the crisp in the air. It feels celebratory and exciting as the anticipation for winter creeps ever so softly forward… very softly forward if you live in Southern California, but we can dream.

This week we’re featuring a bevy of cocktails that make use of that wonderful apple cider you purchased recently or even just the apples to press your own! (If you are purchasing from a local store, we suggest finding a cider made purely of apples with no added sugar for these particular drinks!)

Apple Cider Whiskey

Ingredients:

2 oz. Tennessee Whiskey

4 oz. Fresh Apple Cider

Fresh nutmeg shavings, (using micro plane)

3 Shakes of ground Cinnamon

Lemon Zest

2 Cinnamon sticks

In a cocktail shaker add first 5 ingredients and shake until well blended. Pour over ice in two highball glasses and garnish with cinnamon stick. *Note, using large cubes such as these skull shaped ones from Williams Sonoma helps add in a touch of Halloween spirit!

Northwood (recipe from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. Gold Rum

2 tbsp. Brandy

1 ½ tbsp. apple cider

1 tsp. pure maple syrup (preferably grade B)

¾ tsp. fresh lemon juice

Ice Cubes

2 thin apple slices

Combine first 5 ingredients in cocktail shaker; fill with ice. Cover and shake vigorously until cold. Strain and pour into 2 coupe cocktail glasses. Cut slit in each apple slice and attach to rim of each glass.

Bourbon Apple Ginger Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz. Kentucky Bourbon

3 oz. Apple Cider (preferably fresh)

1 ½ oz. Ginger Beer (we used Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer)

2 Apple Slices

In a cocktail shaker combine first 2 ingredients. Shake well and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Shake once more and pour into 2 highball glasses over large ice cubes. Add Ginger beer to each and serve with apple slice on rim of each glass.

We hope you enjoy and please remember to drink responsibly over this holiday season!

Photos: Kelly Norris Sarno