The Big Apple

It's Monday, which means it's Manhattan night (it's a rule.) However, I'm at home tonight so I thought I'd try something a little different. I broke out the bottle of Arkansas Black Applejack I got at the Craft Spirits a couple of months back to make what I'm calling the Big Apple. This is a Manhattan-variation which swaps out the whiskey for applejack, but otherwise keeps the 2-1-2 proportions of the Manhattan. I went with Carpano Antica for the sweet vermouth, because I thought the cinnamon would go well in it, and I used the Napa Valley Apple Spice bitters. The result is pretty good, but not outstanding. It's a bit too apple (the applejack is a little hot at 98 proof) and could maybe use a more robust vermouth. I think I might try Punt e Mes next time and a different bitters, just to see how it goes. I'm going to enjoy this one right now though.

Recipe

The Manhattan recipe is just about as simple as simple can be.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Applejack -- I used Arkansas Black Applejack
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth -- something a bit spicy goes well here
• 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters (I used the Napa Valley Bitters Apple Spice bitters here, which aren't an aromatic bitter but are pretty lovely.)

Directions

1. Put everything in a mixing glass and add ice
2. Stir for about 20 seconds or until chilled (Never, never shake a Manhattan. Never!)
3. Sstrain into a chilled cocktail glass.
4. Sip and listen to the sound of thunder in the background and wonder how you've suddenly been transported back to the East Coast.

Fallback

View fullsize

The weather was absolutely gorgeous today; a classic San Francisco September day. This inspired my mind to wander down the path of a cocktail I'd seen on the Cocktail Virgin blog, the Fallback. This is a delightful mix of rye and apples, with some Amaro Montenegro and bitters thrown in -- a great-sounding combination that worked out well in practice.

This one starts out with a note of spice and orange (from the amaro and flamed orange peel garnish, no doubt) that segues into the rye, with the apple coming out in the finish. This one would be perfect for sitting on the porch and watching the leaves fall (or, in San Francisco, sitting and looking out the window as the wind blows stuff around and the tourists in their shorts scramble for cover, wondering how it suddenly got so chilly.)

Sea Ranchers beware! This one is very likely to appear on the menu next March; it'll go quite nicely with the weather and view.

Recipe

I played this one pretty straight to the posted recipe, only varying the brand of the sweet vermouth. It's nice, for once, to have most of the specified brands on hand (although I did have to run out to get an orange for the garnish. Tomorrow, I might have to make something that calls for orange juice...)

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Rye (Old Overholt, my go-to "cheap" rye. Excellent stuff for cocktails!)
• 1 oz Laird's Applejack
• 1/2 oz. Amaro Montenegro (as much fun to say as it is to drink!)
• 1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Carpano Antica Formula)
• 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters (if you don't have any, click on my link to buy 'em -- it's an Amazon affliliate and will help me out!)

Directions

Bitters "Triple Play" Variety 3-Pack: Angostura, Peychauds and Regans

$24.99

Buy on Amazon

1. Combine ingredients in a mxing glass, add ice, and stir to chill, about 15 - 2o seconds
2. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass
3. Garnish with an orange peel or, if you're daring, flame the orange peel oover the drink.
4. Sip and reflect on your past summer.

By the way, if you're stocking your bar, consider the bitters pack on the right there -- it's pretty much the three basic bitters you need to start!