Autumn in Florida may differ from other well-seasoned states, but that doesn’t mean the drinks won’t taste like it. The Orange State’s city of Orlando embraces a different fruit as the orange tree leaves fall: apples. Central Florida Lifestyle has found the best local cocktails and shots recipes using apples that bring the fall feels to your taste buds.
**The recipes below use the same ingredients as the accompanying Orlando bars but use different measurements according to our interpretation of the cocktails.
Mather’s Social Gathering’s “The Envy”
What you’ll need:
Angel’s Envy Bourbon
Honey Ginger Blend
Thyme
Green Apple
Lemon Juice
Whiskey Barrel Bitters & Angostura Bitters
How it’s made:
- Muddle 2-3 wedges of a green apple in a shaker.
- Add two ounces of Angel’s Envy Bourbon, one ounce of honey ginger blend, and half an ounce of lemon juice to the same shaker.
- Add ice and the shaker’s lid, then gently shake.
- Pour the shaker’s contents over one large ice cube.
- Add 1-3 drops of Whiskey Barrell Bitters and 1-3 drops of Angostura Bitters to the freshly poured glass.
- Garnish with a stem of thyme and a green apple wedge.
Cocktails & Screams’ “Witches Brew”
What you’ll need:
Frankly Organic Apple Vodka
Apple Pucker Schnapps
Honey Vanilla Simple Syrup
Cinnamon Syrup
Lemon Juice
Apple Cider
Cinnamon Sugar
Apple Slice
How it’s made:
- Rim a clean glass with cinnamon sugar and fill it with ice.
- In your freshly rimmed glass, combine two ounces of Frankly Organic Apple Vodka, one ounce of Apple Pucker Schnapps, one ounce of honey vanilla simple syrup, ¼ an ounce of cinnamon syrup, and half an ounce of lemon juice.
- Top it off with apple cider.
- Garnish with an apple slice.
Hanson’s Shoe Repair’s “Jack Rose”
What you’ll need:
Laird’s Applejack Whiskey
Lime juice
Jack Rudy Grenadine
Angostura Bitters
How it’s made:
- Combine three ounces of Laird’s Applejack Whiskey, half an ounce of lime juice, and half an ounce of Jack Rudy Grenadine in a shaker.
- Add ice and the shaker’s lid, then shake gently.
- Pour the shaker’s contents over one large ice cube.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Shots Orlando’s “Golden Apple” Shot
What you’ll need:
Goldschläger
Crown Apple Whiskey
How it’s made:
- Combine one ounce of Goldschläger and two ounces of Crown Apple in a shaker.
- Add ice and the shaker’s lid, then shake gently.
- Pour the shaker’s contents into a chilled shot glass.
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants’ Various Wines
Bubbly Rose: Creamy with strawberry and crisp green apple flavors.
Blanc De Blanc: Green apple, peach, and lemon with floral aromas.
Pinot Gris: Light-bodied wine with fruity aromas of peach, orange rind, apple, and lemon.
Chardonnay: Medium-bodied with aromas of banana, yellow apple, butter, and toasted oak.
Riesling: Slightly sweet with aromas of key lime pie, green apple, honeydew, and flowers.
White Sangria: Flavors of passionfruit, apricot, tangerine, apple, and pineapple.
Red Sangria: Flavors of blueberry, maraschino cherry, orange, lemon, and red apple.
Winter White: Flavors of spiced pear, orange marmalade, baked apple, nutmeg, and clove.
So, as we embrace the fall season, let’s enjoy these drinks using apples. If you don’t quite master the cocktail at home, you can always visit these local Orlando bars.