Bottoms Up :: Apple Orchard Cocktail

It’s been awhile since our last edition of Bottom’s Up… I have to admit that by the end of my pregnancy, the thought of mixing up cocktails that I couldn’t imbibe started to lose its luster. But now (hooray!) I’m ready to dive back into creating some perfectly fall concoctions when I can actually enjoy the fruits of my labor. After creating this week’s Monochromatic Monday, I’ve been feeling the apple orchard vibe in a major way…topping steel-cut oats with cinnamon apples yesterday morning and planning to make this crostata substituting apples for the plums this weekend. Today’s cocktail is a nod to apple cider, but since it’s served cold, it’s the perfect transitional drink for when the evenings are still warm but I’ve started craving fall flavors. Don’t you love the little apple slices garnishing the rims of those brandy glasses from Anthropologie? Keep reading for more images and the recipe…

The perfect cocktail party accompaniment to these cocktails? Fall-feeling bar snacks like this caramel-cashew kettle corn. (I ate almost the entire bag during this shoot, by the way.)

Apple Orchard Cocktail

*makes 1 drink

• 2 ounce apple juice
• 1 ounce apple brandy (like Calvados)
• 1 ounce ginger ale
• 1 thin slice from a small apple or crabapple, seeds removed

Fill a pint glass with ice. Add the apple juice & brandy and stir well. Strain into a chilled glass, top with the ginger ale and garnish with the apple slice.