Friday, October 22, 2010

An Apple-tini a Day


So we’re going to take a break from our flavored vodka unit for an autumn-themed post. I like to keep my drinks seasonal. This means that during the fall, I almost exclusively drink pumpkin spiced lattes in the morning and apple-tinis as part of my late night festivities. In its October issue, the Food Network Magazine recently published an article called “An Apple a Day” which included 31 recipes -- one for each day in October -- that called for apples. Here is my own version – a different original apple-tini recipe for every day of the week. Enjoy!

Sunday -- Apple Pie à la Mode
1 ½ oz Pinnacle Whipped vodka
Splash of sour apple schnapps (try Lady Velvet)
Dash of real whipped cream
2 oz apple cider

Also needed: 1 Graham cracker, cinammon

This is my newest original recipe, and I don’t want to brag or anything, but it’s fantastic. First, pound a Graham cracker into fine crumbs. Rim cocktail glass with cracker crumbs. (You can do this by first dipping the rim of the glass into a shallow bowl of cider. The crumbs will stick to the moist rim.) Combine vodka, sour apple schnapps, cider and real whipped cream in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into rimmed glass. The result will be a creamy apple-flavored concoction – think cold vanilla ice cream melting on warm apple pie. The Graham cracker crumbs serve as the crust. Further garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Monday -- Candy Apple Martini
1 oz Skyy vodka
1 oz DeKuyper ButterShots
1 oz apple juice
1 oz cranberry juice

This has been my signature fall recipe for the past two years. This drink tastes like a smooth, sugary caramel apple and is red in color. Shake ingredients with ice and strain.

Tuesday -- Jack Sparrow’s Treasure
1 ½ oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
¾ oz Goldschlager cinnamon schnapps
4 oz apple cider

Also needed: Cubed apples and a cinnamon stick

I live in Disney. It was only a matter of time before I started naming my drinks after Disney characters. (Not to mention that I ride Pirates of the Caribbean at least once a week.) Also, Goldschlager contains real flecks of gold, gold = treasure …you see how I got the name. Combine ingredients in a high ball glass with ice and a few pieces of apple cut into cube-like shapes. Speed shake and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Wednesday -- Cran-Apple-tini
1 ½ oz Finlandia Cranberry vodka
¾ oz DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker
1 ¾ oz cranberry juice

This makes a great Thanksgiving Day cocktail and was inspired by the Boston Basher at Jellyrolls on the Boardwalk. Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Real cranberries on a cocktail skewer make a great garnish.

Thursday -- Apple Gingersnap
1 ½ oz Skyy Ginger vodka
¾ oz DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker
1 ¾ oz apple cider

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a dash of whipped cream and a mini gingersnap cookie. Optional sugar rim.

Friday -- Forbidden Fruit
1 ½ oz Smirnoff Green Apple Twist
¾ oz PAMA pomegranate liqueur
1 ¾ oz cranberry juice

Apple and pomegranate are probably my two favorite cocktail flavors. The name is a reference to both the Garden of Eden and the myth of Persephone, whose consumption of pomegranate seeds forced her to return to the underworld. (I was a Religious Studies major. I am also a dork.) Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh green apple wheel.

Saturday -- Caramel Apple Cider
1 ½ oz Bacardi Big Apple rum
¾ oz DeKuyper ButterShots
1 ¾ oz apple cider

Lace a cocktail glass with caramel sauce. Do this by taking a spoonful of caramel and drizzling it over the cocktail glass so that there are caramel swirls around the sides. Combine rum, butterscotch schnapps, and cider in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into caramel-coated glass. Garnish with an apple wedge dipped in caramel.

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