Yes, fall means indulging in apple pie and apple donuts, but there’s no reason to limit your autumnal fruit consumption to what’s on your plate. Harvest flavors work just as well in cocktails and punch as they do in pie and pastry. Ingredients like cider, Calvados, and infused syrups bring the sweet-tart freshness of apples to the glass as well. Warming brown spirits like rum, bourbon, and whiskey pair particularly well with apples this time of year, offering comforting flavor combinations that are as refreshing in the warm days of early fall as they are comforting as the weather gets colder. To gather a little inspiration for orchard-centric drinking, we asked bartenders to share their favorite apple cocktails. Here’s what they said.
The best apple cocktails, according to bartenders: Calvados Manhattan Jack Rose Orchard Spritz Spiked apple cider Fuego Manzana Mulled apple cider Apple brandy and cachaça milk punch Apple Daisy Diamondback La Gran Manzana Golden Orchard Apple Hot Toddy Stone Fence
“While we enjoy fresh apple juice, house-made apple syrups, and apple infusions, we really love apple distillate spirits including American-made Applejack and French Calvados. Calvados, a delicate and aged spirit made in Northern France, plays well in a classic Manhattan. The complexity and nuance of this spirit really shine with the classic specs.” —Brandon Ristaino, co-founder and beverage director, Good Lion Hospitality, Santa Barbara, Calif.
“For a classic, the Jack Rose. It’s made with apple brandy, lemon and grenadine. Traditionally you’ll see it made with Laird’s
