Cider Cocktails

I haven't posted a cocktail blog in quite a while, and with the changing of the seasons, I'd say I'm about due. This time of year I love to take advantage of the seasonal flavors: pumpkin, cider, cinnamon, apples, cranberry. But probably the most versatile of all these flavors in cocktail making is cider. It's great warm or chilled, it's delicious in alcoholic and non-alcoholic form, it blends well with either sweet or tart ingredients. So today's blog is entirely cider-based drinks. Enjoy!

Warm Maple Bourbon Cider

This recipe can easily be made as a single serving, but if you have a houseful of guests, make up a big batch in the crockpot!

For a single serving, combine the following in a saucepan over low heat: 1 cup cider, 1 shot (~3 tablespoons) bourbon, 1 tablespoon real maple syrup, and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. For 8 servings, combine 8 cups cider, 2 cups bourbon, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Serve warm.

Cider Mimosa

OK, technically mimosas are meant to be a brunch accompaniment, but I don't see any reason you can't have a champagne cocktail before (or after) dinner, especially if it's a cider mimosa served in front of the fireplace. 

Moisten the rim of a champagne flute with cider and dip it in cinnamon sugar, then place in the freezer to set. When ready, fill flutes 1/4 full with cider and top with champagne. Garnish with a thin apple slice. 

Hot Buttered Cider with Rum

This variation on an old favorite, Hot Buttered Rum, is just labor-intensive enough to be worth saving until you have a crowd to enjoy it. Toss it in the crockpot and let it simmer away all night long. 

In a large pot, bring half a gallon of cider to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low. Stir in 1/2 cup butter (cut into pieces), 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Continue stirring until butter and sugar are completely dissolved. Keep warm until ready to serve, then ladle into mugs, top with a shot of rum, and garnish with a cinnamon stick. 

Cider Sangria

Most people think of sangria as a summer recipe, but this delicious fall variation marinates apples and cranberries in cider, cranberry juice, and wine for a fresh autumnal treat.

Dice two apples and toss with lemon juice, then place into a large pitcher along with 1/2 cup fresh cranberries. Pour 1 cup cider, 1/4 cup cranberry juice, 1 bottle white wine, and 1 cup seltzer into the pitcher. Stir to combine, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with thin apple slices as garnish.

Fireball Slushies

Cider is delicious hot, but it's equally delicious cold - even frozen into slush! Fireball whiskey provides the heat in this unusual hot-and-cold cocktail.

Combine 1 cup ice, 1 cup cider, and 1/4 cup Fireball in a blender and blend until combined. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Caramel Apple Martini

Along with its sister cocktail, the candy apple martini, this is one of my favorite fall cocktails. It's best when made with a slightly tart cider to counteract the sweetness of the caramel, although it also makes a lovely dessert drink if you ramp up the sweetness a bit. 

Moisten the rim of a martini glass with cider then dip in cinnamon sugar. Drizzle inside of glass with caramel syrup, if desired. Chill in the freezer. In a shaker over ice, combine 2 parts cider, 2 parts vodka, and 1 part butterscotch schnapps and shake until well chilled. Pour into prepared glass and garnish with an apple wedge. 

Pumpkin-Cider Fizz

This cocktail combines two of my favorite fall ingredients: pumpkin and cider. And don't substitute ginger ale for ginger beer - the ginger beer gives it a great, rich, fall flavor!

In a cocktail shaker over ice, combine 1-1/2 ounces pumpkin puree (fresh or canned), 1-1/2 ounces vanilla vodka (or regular vodka and a dollop of Tuaca), and 2 ounces cider. Shake until chilled and strain into a highball glass, then top with 1-1/2 ounces ginger beer. 

Northwood #2

This elegant cocktail packs a surprising warmth with its combination of rum and brandy. 

In a cocktail shaker over ice, combine 3 tablespoons rum, 2 tablespoons brandy, 1-1/2 tablespoons cider, 1 teaspoon real maple syrup, and 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice, and shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with a thin slice of apple. 

Cider Margarita

You'll love this sweet autumn variation of a traditional margarita!

Moisten the rim of a cocktail glass with cider then dip in cinnamon sugar and place in the freezer to set. In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine 1 ounce Grand Marnier, 1 ounce tequila, and 5-6 ounces cider. Shake until chilled, then pour into prepared glass. Garnish with a thin slice of apple topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick. 

Cider Old-Fashioned

Brown sugar instead of a sugar cube adds a hint of mellow flavor to this variation on a classic. 

In a lowball glass, combine 2 ounces cider, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and a dash of bitters, and swirl until sugar is dissolved. Add ice and top with 2 ounces bourbon or whiskey. Garnish with apple slices and a cinnamon stick. 

So grab one of these delicious cocktails, curl up by the fire with someone you love, and get cozy all the way down to your toes! Happy Autumn!

Fall Cocktails

The transition from August into September is often quite abrupt here in New England. We go from 90-degree days and 78-degree nights to 70-degree days and 58-degree nights. And when I feel that transition start to happen, I know it's time to start to transition out of my summer Gibsons and cosmos and lemon drop martinis and into my autumn cocktail menu.

During the summer, I enjoy vodka-based cocktails with lighter, sweet-tart flavor combinations, often using fresh herbs from my garden to add a savory edge to a sweet drink. But as the weather cools, I like drinks that warm from the inside, often bourbon- or cognac-based or involving stronger, sharper flavors like ginger and nutmeg. So here are a few of my favorite, warm-you-to-your-toes cocktails that are perfect for those fall evenings by the fire pit.

Brandy Alexander

Combine equal parts cognac, creme de cacao, and half and half over ice in a martini shaker and shake until well blended. Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Gold Rush

Combine three parts Domaine de Canton (ginger liqueur), two parts bourbon, and one part fresh lemon juice over ice in a martini shaker and shake until chilled. Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a slice of fresh ginger or a wedge of lemon, if desired.

Cranberry Kiss

Combine 4 parts cranberry juice, 2 parts vodka, and 1 part amaretto, plus a splash of Triple Sec or Grand Marnier, over ice in a martini shaker and shake until chilled. Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an orange wedge or a few fresh cranberries. Feel free to adjust the proportions to your preferred sweetness level!

Bourbon Cider

Start by preparing your glass (either or martini glass or any kind of rocks glass): moisten the rim of the glass with a bit of cider and dip it in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, then place it in the freezer while preparing the cocktail. Combine 2 parts cider and 1 part bourbon over ice in a martini shaker and shake just enough to combine and chill slightly. Pour into the prepared glass and garnish with a rosemary sprig and/or an apple slice or wedge.

Sidecar

Prepare a martini glass by moistening the rim with lemon juice and dipping it in sugar, then place in the freezer to chill. Combine 4 parts cognac with 2 parts Triple Sec or Grand Marnier and 1 part lemon juice over ice in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into prepared glass and garnish with a lemon wedge or peel.

Pumpkin Pie Martini

Rim a martini glass with cinnamon sugar and place in the freezer to chill. Combine 3 parts half and half, 2 parts Bailey's Irish Cream, 1 part vanilla vodka (or vodka plus a splash of Tuaca vanilla liqueur or a few drops of real vanilla extract), couple of generous spoonfuls of pumpkin puree, and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (make your own with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice) over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake hard to combine and chill all ingredients. Pour into the prepared glass and sprinkle with additional spices.

Hot Apple Pie

Start by warming some apple cider on the stove or in the microwave. Pour 1 part Tuaca and 2 parts hot cider into a mug or heat-proof glass and add a cinnamon stick garnish. Top with whipped cream if desired. You can also add a splash of butterscotch schnapps or caramel vodka.

Coffee Cocktails

There are so many variations on the hot coffee cocktail - here are just a few! Add the following to a steaming hot cup of your favorite blend and top with whipped cream:

Bailey's Coffee:  Add a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon

Mexican Coffee: Add a scant shot each of Kahlua and tequila

Spanish Coffee: Add a scant shot each of Kahlua and rum; top with a cherry

Amaretto Coffee: Add a generous shot of amaretto; garnish with toasted, sliced almonds, if desired

Irish Coffee: Add a shot each of whiskey and Bailey's Irish Cream; top with a dash of nutmeg

Grand Coffee: Add a shot of Grand Marnier and a pinch of brown sugar

Cafe Grande: Add scant shots of Kahlua, creme de cacao, and Grand Marnier; garnish with a cherry


Slainte!