Hey again, and Happy Halloween! It's such a fun year in our house, with Julep being three and old enough to start really getting into the fun of the holiday. We're looking forward to a stroll in our new neighborhood by the #houseonkelseyhill and passing out candy from our brand new front door, which was installed today!
But let's get to the important stuff: the second cocktail in my Cocktails with Mo series, the Sour Cherry Cider! I'm in love with this drink. While all the drinks we've concocted have been stellar, this one is my personal favorite so far with no contest. It features all the best things... apples, molasses, brandy and rosemary. We specifically developed this recipe to be able to mix in advance for a crowd. It's the perfect signature cocktail to have at the ready for holiday party guests!
If you haven't dipped your toe into the waters of dry to very dry apple ciders, I would certainly encourage you to do so. My first experience was on my recent trip to Birmingham. We stopped at Husk in Nashville, which features a section of the drink menu dedicated solely to dry ciders made the old fashioned way, back when cider was even more popular than beer. The one I tasted there was the Serious Cider by Foggy Ridge, which is available for $18 online. I called around to all the local liquor stores to see if anyone carried it and didn't have any luck, but I did stumble upon ACE Black Jack 21 Cider (which was about $16 at Winetree, for any locals reading this). It's pleasantly tasty and pretty dry compared to anything else you'll find on the typical grocery or liquor store shelf.
The first thing we did when we huddled around Mo's kitchen island to craft this drink was taste the molasses. WOW. A little will go a long way. "Why don't we make a simple syrup out of it?", I asked. "Let's try it!". Mo is such a good sport. We settled on a ratio of 4:1 (four parts water, one part molasses). The cherry vodka is where her expertise truly shines. It adds the perfect additional layer of flavor that makes you go "Hmmm, what is that?". Give this one a try, sooner rather than later! It's so refreshing on these warm fall days we've been having. I could also see it being the most perfect accompaniment to pre-dinner snacks.
To mix in advance, simply combine all the ingredients except for the cider in a pitcher. Instruct guests to shake with ice and strain into a glass, then top with the cider and a couple of cherries on a rosemary sprig. The rosemary is really important here, as the aroma of the herb lends an earthiness to the drink that absolutely sends it over the top. Here's the full recipe! Enjoy!
1/2 oz. Apple brandy 1/2 oz. Cherry vodka 1 oz. Sour 1 tsp Sorghum simple syrup
Shake all ingredients & top with dry cider.
Garnish with cherries and a sprig of rosemary.
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