10 Jul Apple

To write merely 1,000 words about apples would be doing a great disservice to the most important American beverage ingredient of the 19th century, with the possible exception of molasses. In particular, it was prohibition and the temperance movement of the 19th century that decimated apple orchards throughout the East Coast.

To be completely fair to the temperance movement, the idea to associate alcohol consumption with morality came on the cusp of some of the largest per capita alcohol consumption in the this country’s history, which was generally pretty bad for everyone, and for poor farm workers in rural communities, cider was the beverage of choice.

But apples have sugar, the most important component in alcohol creation, and that doesn’t stop at cider. Distilling cider leads to the creation of applejack, a niche spirit that needs to be tasted to be believed. When produced under stricter French regional protocols, this is also referred to as Calvados.

Apple cider vinegar, or ACV as it’s been referred to in every kitchen I’ve ever worked in, also happens to be my favorite vinegar for making shrubs, a low-tech way of preserving seasonal fruits well past their prime through pickling, the oldest preservation technique known to man. Making a fruit shrub and topping with sparkles for texture (either sparkling wine or seltzer) is the easiest summer drink hack you could ever ask for.

But if you’re working with fresh apples as a cocktail component sans fermentation, might I recommend apple butter? And, before you ask, no, there’s no dairy here. Think of a highly caramelized applesauce. The natural sugars (and if desired, added white sugar) will pair nicely with most brown spirits, specifically bourbon.

The following is my favorite cocktail I’ve ever made with apples, utilizing a homemade apple butter. If you’d rather not make your own giant jar of apple butter only to use a ½ fl oz in a cocktail, that’s completely understandable. Most supermarkets and farmers markets will have something made from local apples, if you live in that part of the country. But apples are available at every American grocery store, and you always want to have a few on hand in case health professionals come a-knockin’.

We’re also going to introduce a tiki technique, which I’m calling the lazy swizzle. Swizzling, in the cocktail world, means taking a swizzle stick (a five-pronged wooden stick, about 12 inches long), placing it between your open palms and moving your palms back and forth in opposite directions, allowing the stick to slowly integrate liquid in the cocktail with the ice, an important cocktail technique for tiki cocktails like the “Queen’s Park Swizzle.” If you’re not a professional bartender, you can ignore this step, and merely strain the cocktail over ice and garnish appropriately. I won’t judge.

Half Baked

Ingredients:

0.75 fl oz bourbon
0.75 fl oz Cynar (substitue Cynar 70 for more booze)
0.5 fl oz lemon juice
0.5 fl oz / 1 tbsp apple butter
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Orange Bitters
2 sprigs (about 6-8 leaves) of mint
+mint, lemon wheels, and Angostura Bitters, for garnish

In a shaker tin, combine bourbon, cynar, lemon juice, honey, apple butter, and bitters, then add a half cup of ice and shake hard for thirty seconds. Dump all contents from the shaker tin into an old fashioned glass, then slowly top with crushed ice, shaking the sides of the glass to gently coax the liquid up the ice to the top of the glass, topping with a “snow cone” of crushed ice at the top, if space allows. Garnish with lemon wheels, a mint sprig, bitters on top, and an apple fan if you’re feeling crazy.

Apple Butter:

4 apples
1 pint white sugar
4 fl oz lemon juice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves, whole
½ tsp ground nutmeg

1.) Remove stem from apples and cut each apple into eight segments (quartered, then cut in half). Leave skins and seeds intact, this will add pectin to the finished product and positively benefit the overall consistency.

2.) Place apples, sugar, lemon juice, and spices in a slow cooker, than cook undisturbed on low heat overnight, for 10-12 hours.

3.) After apples have done cooking, press the the remaining mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove as many solids as possible, such as seeds.

4.) While the strained mixture is still hot, blend (either in a blender or with an immersion/stick blender) until very smooth. Store in airtight containers refrigerated for up to one month, or follow safe canning procedures to keep indefinitely.