Expecting company this fall? Planning a party or dinner? Here are some tips for making a perfect cocktail for the season, courtesy of Cece Tolin, a mixologist at Vintage Fine Wine and Martini Bar in Casper.
Add fruit
Cranberries, apples and pears are fall fruits that work well in cocktails. Apple cider is popular year round but works especially well in autumn, Tolin says. Toss in some rum and vanilla liqueur for a drink that tastes like spiced apple pie. Or make a variation on the classic ginger smash by adding cranberry sauce and juice.
Easy infusion
Fall harvests can leave you with an excess of apples and pears. Let the fruit soak in a jar of vodka or rum, and you’ll have a refreshing infusion in a matter of days. Tolin recommends infusing two gallons at a time. Start with a two-day soak. If it’s too strong, wait a bit longer. Add cinnamon sticks for a bit of spice.
You can purchase a special infusion jar, but any ordinary pickle jar will work – provided it has a tight seal. You’ll also need a strainer.
Experiment
Don’t be afraid to mix things up. Even tequila, an alcohol associated with summer drinks like margaritas, can be used in fall cocktails, Tolin says. It pairs well with fall fruits like apples and pomegranate.
“I think some people are skeptical of trying,” she says. “You don’t want to waste alcohol. But it’s like cooking – you taste as you go. That’s the best way to do it.”
Here’s a few more fall cocktails to try, courtesy of Cece and Vintage:
Ginger Smash Martini
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. cranberry sauce
Lemon wedge
2 ounces Tanqueray
½ ounce Patron Citronge
¼ ounce cranberry juice
¼ ounce ginger ale
Directions:
Pour ginger ale in bottom of martini glass
Muddle cranberry sauce and lemon
Shake all ingedients with ice
Strain into martini glass
Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
3 cherries
Orange wedge
1 ½ ounces Maker’s Mark
5 dashes of bitters
¼ ounce simple syrup
Directions:
Muddle fruit in Collins glass
Fill with ice
Add remaning ingredients
Spiced Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1 ounce Captain Morgan
1 ounce Tuaca
Apple cider
Butter slice
Cinnamon
Directions:
Pour cider in toddy glass just below the top of the handle
