It’s autumn, and suddenly, they’re everywhere again. Apples. Fuji. Pink Lady. Golden Delicious. As if an apple a day isn’t enough, now you’re probably eating around five a day. While apples today are seen as a generally healthy thing, they have also symbolized less wholesome moments. Take Eve in the Garden of Eden. Or Paris giving the golden apple to Aphrodite. Or, apple cocktails.
Indeed, some people go apple picking, while others opt for apple drinking. For those of you that can’t pop over to an apple grove for fresh apples, the produce section of your grocery store will do just fine. Then pop into your home bar, and put those apples to good use—perhaps with some apple brandy or some ginger beer like the folks at Hangar 1 Vodka. Or go full on fall with Casa Nonna’s pumpkin spice syrup, which incorporates apple cider, pumpkin spice syrup, and tequila.
Here’s an apple cocktail a day, to keep the doctor away.
Sparkling Apple Cider with Thyme
Courtesy of ONE HOPE WINE
Ingredients
8 oz. Dark Rum
3 oz. Lemon Juice
4 oz. Thyme Simple Syrup (recipe below)
12 oz. Apple Cider
1 bottle (750ml) ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine
4 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Springs of Thyme for garnish
Ingredients for Thyme Simple Syrup
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups Water
10 sprigs Thyme
Directions: Combine sugar, water and 10 sprigs of thyme in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until the sugar has dissolved completely (about five minutes). Remove from heat and place the syrup in the refrigerator to cool (about 90 minutes). Place all ingredients (except sparkling wine) in a large pitcher or carafe. Fill your glasses with crushed ice and fill half with mixture. Top with sparkling wine and serve with a few sprigs of thyme for garnish.
Apple Hinny
Photo Courtesy of Jason Cousins
Recipe Courtesy of Hangar 1 Vodka
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Hangar 1 Straight Vodka
1 oz. Fresh Green Apple Juice
½ oz. Lime Juice
1/2 oz. Ginger beer
Nutmeg dusting
Directions: Combine and serve over ice. Garnish with Apple fan.
Zucca Cooler
Courtesy of Lindsey Levine – Casa Nonna New York
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Reposado Tequila
1 oz. Fresh Apple Cider
½ oz. Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain over a large ice cube into a rock glass. Garnish with a dehydrated apple chip.
Apple Cinnamon Twist
Courtesy of Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. White Rum Brugal titanium
1 oz. Apple liquor
1 slice of green apple
Tonic
Cinnamon
Ice
Directions: Add the rum and apple liquor with ice and tonic into a cocktail shaker. Shake until well mixed. Pour into a glass of choice. Garnish with one slice of green apple and cinnamon stick.
Era Ora
Courtesy of Obicà
Ingredients
2 oz. Chamomile Infused Tequila
5 slices Seasonal Apples
1/2 oz. Dimmi liquor
1 1/2 oz. Citrus mix
1/2 oz. Honey syrup (equal parts honey/ filtered water)
Directions: In a shaker muddle the apple and add the ingredients, fill with ice. Shake for 20 sec; pass through a double strainer into the chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of apple on rim of glass.
Hendrick’s Apple Snap Highball
Created by Hendrick’s Gin National Brand Ambassador Jim Ryan
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Hendricks Gin
1 ½ oz. Apple Juice
3 oz. Ginger Ale
Cucumber Spear
Thin Apple Slices
Directions: In an iced, long glass combine all ingredients and garnishes.
The Golden Delicious
Courtesy of Bohanan’s Bar & Restaurant
Ingredients
¾ oz. Lemon juice
¾ oz. Honey
2 oz. Applejack Brandy
One apple
Directions: Shake ingredients and strain over ice. Garnish with an apple fan.
Madina is a New York/New Orleans based freelance writer and a regular contributor to Paste. Follow her drinking adventures on Instagram and Twitter.