Around this time of year, we’re digging warm seasonal drinks. But spiked apple cider can get a little tired after a while. The solution? An apple-fused version of the classic Sazerac, a classic whiskey cocktail with absinthe, Peychaud's Bitters, and sugar, from Cody Goldstein, the head bartender at the cozy Upholstery Store: Food and Wine in N.Y.C.’s West Village. “Apples and cinnamon are two ingredients that are always top of mind at this time of year, and I wanted to showcase them in an inventive way,” he says. “The cinnamon syrup is a seasonal alternative to the sugar, and the baked apple replaces the traditional bitters. Instead of an absinthe rinse, I smoke a cinnamon stick in the glass for the aromatics.” Check out the recipe for “The Baked Apple 46” below.
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The Baked Apple 46
Ingredients:
2 parts Maker’s 46 ($40; reservebar.com)
½ part apple brandy
¼ part cinnamon syrup (equal parts sugar and water infused with 2-3 cinnamon sticks)
2 dashes baked apple bitters ($17; bevmo.com)
Smoked cinnamon stick, to garnish
Lemon twist, to garnish
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Directions:
1. Fill rocks glass with ice and set aside.
2. Combine Maker’s 46, apple brandy, cinnamon syrup, and apple bitters into a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir for 10 seconds. Empty out rocks glass with ice.
3. Take a lighter and heat the end of the cinnamon stick. When it starts to smoke, rim it around the inside of the glass. Strain into the rocks glass with a 2-inch ice cube. Zest a lemon twist and put it inside.
