Tag Archives: easy cocktail recipe

Apple Thyme Shrub Cocktail

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I flick apples in the produce section. I get the occasional eyebrow raise my direction, but I always end up with the crunchiest, crispest apples. The higher pitch the apple makes, the crunchier the fruit. I don’t compromise here, so I’ll happily endure the raised eyebrows. A good fall apple should be bright in flavor and almost brittle like kettle-cooked potato chips.

Apple thyme shrub cocktail

Apples bring back a flood of memories of gallivanting through an apple orchard in Virginia with my family and our close family friends. The rows were littered with half-eaten apples discarded only to sample another variety until our bellies could fit no more….that is, until we were presented with hot apple fritters and fresh-pressed apple cider back at the farm store.

I recently concocted a drink that captures that sweet, bright, tart burst of flavor in an autumn apple. The trick? Keep reading…

My Perfect Old Fashioned

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Ok, I’ve been thinking about this for you. Ready?…

Old Fashioned

10 great ways to spend your time:

  1. Watching the Food Network on the treadmill. (Seriously, you get some great recipe ideas with the added benefit of being a boss.)
  2. Trolling http://animalstalkinginallcaps.tumblr.com
  3. Wandering around a city – new or old
  4. Making a pitcher of cocktails for your friends, because they’ll love you, duh. (The 712 Cocktail, The Gin Sour, or The Cinnamon Cidercane would be a great place to start.)
  5. Planning a road trip
  6. Re-watching all of the old Arrested Development
  7. Perusing thrift stores
  8. Lounging on the roof with wine and cheese (Once a week? Twice? No one’s judging.)
  9. Going to a free salsa/swing dancing night and resultingly either embracing how ridiculous you are or flaunting your sweet new moves ;)
  10. Spending an entire week perfecting an Old Fashioned

Definitely time well-spent.

I’ve done all of those pretty recently, but I need someone to keep me accountable for #4, #7, and #9 soon. Any takers?  #10 happened last week in LA with my family. Man, I love my family. Do other families do this? I mean if the first Old Fashioned wasn’t quite right, we have to make a second…obviously. And the second was good but could’ve used a little more bitters, soooo… And then I honestly just wanted to become pro behind the bar, so my family lovingly endured another few Old Fashioneds throughout the course of the week. And I think we came away with something pretty great here.

Easy Cocktail

Here’s what I did:

Old Fashioned

In a tumbler, stir together:
-1 oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water boiled, cooled)
-4 dashes of angostura bitters (ends up being about 6 drops)
-3 oz. (2 shots) of good bourbon

Drop in:
-2 jarred sour cherries (like Morello, or another tart preserved cherry. *Just DON’T use maraschino…unless you’re that one person who likes them and can’t give it up for some weird reason.)
-a few cubes of ice

Obviously this is all to your liking – if you like it a little sweeter, try more simple syrup. Try more or less bitters (I happen to think 4 dashes is great, but some people like 2 and my mom likes 5). Try different kinds of bitters. Try it with an orange twist. Try it in a box. Try it with a fox. Just don’t dye it green ;)

*French phrase for fun:

Je ne les aime pas, moi, je m’appelle Sam.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.