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Fall cocktails that celebrate the flavors of the season
To kick off what (we can only hope) will be the beginning of cooler weather here in Central Texas, I’ve acquired some seasonal cocktails from the mind of Jason Stevens of the East Side Show Room and Tigress Pub.
Each of these drinks (except the Hopped Toad) feature Stevens’ favorite fall ingredient, grade B maple syrup. They also incorporate other earthy seasonal flavors like walnut, allspice, and even our local (512) Pecan Porter, in truly inventive combinations (check out the Pecan Porter liqueur recipe he created in the Alexander variation below).
Stevens is one of the most dedicated local cocktail inventors in Austin. His attention to detail and flavor pairing are exceptional, and his cocktails never fail to please my palate. The cocktails below will be available as specials when Jason is behind the stick at both the East Side Show Room and the Tigress, and are the perfect way to celebrate the flavors of fall.
I’ve included Stevens’ descriptions of each drink in italics below.
The Sicilian Orchard Flip has a full and rich body, with herbaceous notes of smoked dark chocolate augmented by autumn apple and winter spice. This cocktail is very comfortable on its own or served as an after dinner nip.
Sicilian Orchard Flip
2 oz. Averna amaro
.5 oz. Laird’s Bonded apple brandy
1 healthy bar spoon Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal
1 bar spoon grade B maple syrup (go high quality here. It’s about the flavor, not the sweetness)
1 whole medium sized farm fresh egg (yolk and whites)
1 very small (10-12 grains) pinch of salt
Nutmeg
Combine all ingredients, except nutmeg, in a shaker. Shake hard without ice for 20-30 seconds till blended, add ice and shake for 20 more seconds or till the cocktail turns creamy. Double strain into a coupe glass, garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
The Black Branch is a rounded, boozy cocktail with grain, nut, and spice soothed by maple and orange. It’s New England autumn in a glass.
Black Branch
1.75 oz. Rittenhouse Rye whiskey
.75 oz. Nux Alpine walnut liqueur
1 bar spoon grade B maple syrup (go high quality here. It’s about the flavor, not the sweetness)
1 healthy dash of triple spice bitters*
Build in a mixing glass, starting with the maple syrup, add bitters and spirits, fill glass with ice and briefly (10 seconds or so) stir. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a small twist of orange (optional).
*Triple spice bitters:
1 part Angostura bitters
1 part St. Elizabeth’s Allspice dram
.75 part Peychaud’s bitters
Combine all in a small dasher bottle, use in everything.
The 512 Alexander is local riff on a classic dessert cocktail, with the 512 liqueur adding less sweetness and more depth than the classic creme de cacao. The rich malt, chocolate, pecan, and spice flavors add an autumnal note to the cocktail.
512 Alexander
1 oz. Cognac
1 oz. 512 pecan porter liqueur*
1 oz. half-and-half or fresh cream
Combine all in a shaker, add ice and shake till cold and combined. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with fresh grated roast pecan.
*512 Pecan Porter liqueur
12 oz. of 512 Pecan Porter
8 oz. of cane sugar
2 oz. of grade B maple syrup
8 oz. of vodka (40 proof)
1 large handful of freshly roasted pecans (or skillet toasted pecans)
1 small stick (1 inch) of cinnamon
Place porter in a glass and stir several times over the course of an hour to release CO2
Add pecans and cinnamon stick to porter, place all in the fridge over night to release the rest of the CO2.
The next day place the mixture in a pot over high heat. Add the maple syrup, then slowly add the sugar, constantly stirring till sugar is dissolved. As beer heats, skim off head. Remove from heat, skim final head off, allow to cool. Add vodka and syrup in a bottle. Shake well. Allow to sit for a day before use. Keep refrigerated. Lasts for a month or longer.
In this cocktail, Chartreuse and IPA combine beautifully to enhance the winter flavors of hops, pine, and spice.
Hopped Toad
.75 oz. London dry gin
.5 oz. green Chartreuse
.5 oz. lemon juice
A few drops Angostura bitters
1 bar spoon honey syrup
6-8 oz. of your favorite IPA (I use 512 IPA)
Combine first five ingredients in a shaker, add ice, and shake. Double strain into a Collins glass, add ice or not, and top with the IPA.
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By Jack Hays
October 19, 2011 8:49 AM | Link to this
Precious. So darling. Now could I have a Dewar’s on the rocks, please?