TIBT: Christmas in a Glass
I can’t believe I’m about to share this recipe with you. There are very few times when I find myself under the influence of an idea so impeccable that my first attempt to create that which I have imagined turns out perfectly. This is one of those times.
As a side note, I love apple cider. In fact, I love everything apple. Apple pie, apple crisp, apple bread, apple cake….I could go on forever. This idea sprang from a few things – mainly a recipe that my former mentor in Charlotte, NC shared with me, but also the result of my obsession with things that make me feel like Christmas inside. Warm apple cider is one of those things. Since we’re all out searching for the quickest, easiest Christmas recipes around, I’ll make this a short one.
Last winter, as I was exploring the Christmas-themed realms of north Charlotte’s shopping centers, I discovered a delightful bag of whole, all natural warming spices at World Market. It was reasonably priced, and I was feeling festive, so I threw it in my basket and went on my way. For some reason I have yet to recall, I didn’t even open the bag until sometime THIS fall when it was time to start infusing everything I eat or drink with the flavors of the holiday season…and boy, am I glad I did.
This past weekend, as I was visiting with friends in Macon, I decided that the sudden drop in temperature provided me with a completely legitimate excuse to make some homemade (and of course, spiked) apple cider. Now keep in mind that this is literally the laziest apple cider ever, and please don’t judge me – but I didn’t feel like chopping up several pounds of apples and oranges and hovering over my crock pot for 5 hours, enduring the tantalizing aroma of apple cider that was not yet ready to drink. So, I bought some unfiltered, all natural apple juice, threw some of the warming spices in a drawstring loose leaf tea bag, and left it to tend to itself on the stove for half an hour. By the time I finished setting the fireplace ablaze, I had piping hot, ready to drink apple cider…and of course a bottle of bourbon with which to complete it. Nothing puts the warm and fuzzy in the holiday season quite like sitting by the fire with a steaming hot mug of bourbon infused apple cider. My weekend was complete.
Like most of my gastronomical and/or bourbon drinking adventures, this one sparked another idea: a cocktail crafted carefully enough to ensure that both the festive flavor of the apple cider and the warming boldness of the bourbon shine through individually without getting muddled together in the mix. I’ll be honest: most of the time that I have an idea for a cocktail, it takes me 3 or 4 attempts to find the perfect balance that my palate is craving, and often times I don’t find it at all. THIS attempt, however, defies all previous doubt I had in my ability to imagine the proportions for perfection, and the best part? You probably have most of these ingredients at home, just waiting to be combined.
Apples to Oranges
2 oz bourbon (I used W.L. Weller Special Reserve)
1 oz fresh steeped apple cider
.5 oz maple syrup
.5 oz fresh squeezed orange juice (fresh squeezed is not a polite suggestion, the bottled stuff will not work)
Measure all ingredients into a shaker or stirring vessel, add ice and stir until the bottom of the vessel feels frosty in your hands. Strain over fresh rocks in an old fashioned glass, and garnish with a generous twist of orange, expelling the oil over the surface of the drink as you twist.
This recipe is so dangerously smooth that although you will be able to taste the bourbon immediately, you will not be convinced that there is enough of it to do you any damage…but don’t worry, there is. But don’t let that stop you from giving it a taste (or two), and making one for your friends! Tis the season, after all.
If you try this at home, please comment and let me know how yours turned out!
Cheers, and Merry Christmas to all!
