Shutdown Cider

Note: To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Special equipment: jigger, cocktail shaker, glass, strainer

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cocktail, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes

• 1 1/2 ounces La Diablada pisco
• 2 ounces Knudsen's Cider & Spice apple cider
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup (see note above)
• 2 dashes Bar Keep Chinese Bitters

Procedures

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add pisco, apple cider, lemon, simple syrup, and bitters. Shake until well chilled. Strain into an ice-filled serving glass—use crushed ice if desired.

The Hot and Cold

Because of its bright citrus notes, New Amsterdam Gin easily makes the transition from G&T to toddy. Built on a base of fresh mint tea, this hot toddy is sweetened with ruby-hued cranberry syrup.

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cocktail, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes

• 25 fresh mint leaves
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 ounces gin, such as New Amsterdam
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 ounce homemade cranberry syrup
• Lemon slice for garnish

Procedures

1. In a mug or a small heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over the mint leaves and let steep for 5 minutes.
   
2. While the mint is steeping, combine the gin, cranberry syrup, and lemon juice in a mug. Strain mint tea into mug and stir to combine. Discard mint leaves. Garnish the drink with sliced lemon and serve.

Cranberry, Aperol, and Soda

Slightly tannic cranberry syrup pairs perfectly with the mildly bitter, fruity Aperol in this festive (and fizzy) beverage.

Special equipment: cocktail shaker

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cocktail, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes

• 2 ounces Aperol
• 1 ounce homemade cranberry syrup
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 3 ounces chilled seltzer
• Orange peel for garnish, optional

Procedures

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Aperol, cranberry syrup, and bitters. Shake until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into an ice filled highball glass and top with 3 ounces of seltzer, or more to taste. Stir gently. Garnish with orange peel if desired.

Bitter and Bold Sangria

This sangria, which starts with a base of red wine and has a supporting cast of Campari, cranberry syrup, and bourbon is bold, bitter, and complex.

Ingredients

serves makes about 8 servings, active time 10 minutes, total time 4 hours

• 2 cups red wine
• 1/2 cup homemade cranberry syrup
• 5 ounces bourbon, such as Four Roses Yellow Label
• 5 ounces Campari
• 1 orange, quartered and sliced into wheels
• Chilled seltzer for serving
• Fresh cranberries, halved lengthwise

Procedures

1. Combine red wine, cranberry syrup, bourbon, and Campari in a quart jar or pitcher and stir to combine. Add half the orange slices and refrigerate until completely cool.
   
2. To serve, put about 1/2 cup of the sangria concentrate into each glass and top with 2 to 3 ounces of seltzer. Garnish with one or two of the remaining fresh orange slices and a small handful of halved fresh cranberries.

Edible Pantries

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cocktail, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes

• 1 1/2 ounces Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
• 1/4 ounce Fernet Branca
• 1/8 ounce maple syrup (or slightly more to taste)
• 1/8 ounce apple cider vinegar (or slightly more to taste)
• Dash Angostura bitters
• Freshly grated cinnamon for garnish

Procedures

1. Combine cognac, Fernet Branca, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and bitters in rocks or old fashioned glass with cube of ice. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.

Eve's Addiction

Special equipment: medium saucepan, fine-mesh sieve

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 10 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 4 1/2 cups apple cider
• Rind and 1/4 cup juice from 1 large orange
• 8 ounces applejack
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 clementine or small orange, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries

Procedures

1. Place allspice, peppercorns, cloves, coriander, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in apple cider, orange rind and juice, and applejack and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to lowest setting and allow cider to simmer for 15 minutes.
   
2. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Return cider to saucepan and add apple pieces, clementine slices, and cranberries. Simmer medium-low heat until apples are fork tender but still retain their shape and cranberries are plump, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Salty Maple Buttered Cider

Hot buttered rum is even better with warm cider. A sprinkle of Maldon salt and a hint of lemon juice round out the flavors.

Special equipment: small plate, small saucepan

Ingredients

serves makes 2 cocktails, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes

• Maldon salt
• Half of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped out
• 4 ounces dark rum
• 8 ounces apple cider

Procedures

1. Scatter Maldon salt on a small plate. Rub the rim of two heatproof glasses or mugs with the lemon half, then dip in salt.
   
2. Combine the butter, maple syrup, and vanilla bean seeds in small bowl. Set aside. Combine rum and cider in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour into prepared glasses, then top each with half of the butter. Serve immediately.

Peppery Ginger Cider

This warm cocktail is spiked with bourbon and ginger liqueur. Cracked black pepper underscores the ginger's subtle burn.

Special equipment: small saucepan

Ingredients

serves Makes 2 cocktails, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes

• 8 ounces apple cider
• 4 ounces bourbon
• 3 ounces ginger liqueur, such as Domaine de Canton
• Lemon juice to taste
• 4 Luxardo cherries
• Cracked black pepper

Procedures

1. Bring cider and bourbon to a simmer in small saucepan. Stir in ginger liqueur and add lemon juice to taste. Divide cherries between 2 heatproof glasses or mugs and pour in cider combination. Sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately.

Pop! Cider

Try serving this seasonal sparkling cocktail as guests walk into your home for this year's round of parties. A splash of apple cider makes this drink appropriate for fall, and herbal, honeyed Benedictine is a natural mate.

Ingredients

serves Serves 1, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes

• 2 ounce Bénédictine liqueur
• 1 ounce apple cider, chilled
• Prosecco, chilled
• Fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs (optional)

Procedures

1. Combine Benedictine and cider in a Champagne flute or coupe. Top with Prosecco. Garnish with rosemary or thyme, if desired.

Orchard Boulevardier

The classic Boulevardier is a favorite of ours: it's like a Negroni, but with whiskey instead of gin. In this variation, the combination is served warm, stirred into a steaming saucepan of hot apple cider.

Special equipment: small saucepan

Ingredients

serves makes 2 cocktails, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes

• 8 ounces apple cider
• 4 ounces rye whiskey
• 2 ounce Campari
• 2 ounce sweet vermouth
• Garnish: 2 orange twists

Procedures

1. Bring apple cider to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add rye, Campari, and vermouth, stir until warm. Divide between two heatproof mugs or glass serving glasses, garnish with orange twist and serve immediately.

Vasco da Gama

Note: Use unsweetened apple cider from your local orchard or grocery store refrigerated section for this drink.

Ingredients

serves makes 2 cocktails plus extra spiced syrup, active time 10 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• For the garam masala-spiced apple syrup:
• 2 tablespoons whole coriander seed
• 1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 teaspoons mustard seed
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorn
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 dried bird's eye chili
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups apple cider (see note above)
• 1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
•  
• For the cocktails:
• 4 ounces bourbon (such as Buffalo Trace)
• 1 1/2 ounces garam masala-spiced apple syrup
• 1 ounce single malt Scotch
• 2 dried apple chips for garnish

Procedures

1. To make garam masala-spiced apple syrup, toast all spices in a medium saucepan over low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add apple cider, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer and add sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cider has absorbed flavor from spices, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, then strain into a jar and refrigerate. Cider can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
   
2. To make the cocktails, add bourbon, garam masala-spiced apple syrup, and Scotch into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Stir until well chilled, at least 10 seconds. Add a large ice cube to two Old Fashioned glasses. Strain cocktail evenly between the two prepared glasses. Garnish each glass with a dried apple chip and serve.

The Maloney No. 2

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cocktail

• 1 1/2 ounces bonded bourbon
• 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
• 3/4 ounce Cynar
• 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
• Garnish: Orange twist

Procedures

1. Fill a mixing glass with ice and add bourbon, sweet vermouth, Cynar, and maraschino liqueur. Stir until well chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with an orange twist.