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Winter of Our Content

Winter of Our Discontent apple brandy cocktail

Laird & Company’s flagship apple brandy doesn’t exactly scream “session,” but the trusty old bartender’s staple can pull off a few unexpected tricks if you pour it sparingly and pair it with the proper bedfellows. Lemon juice and maple syrup do some heavy lifting in this winter spritz from the Violet Hour’s Toby Maloney, but it’s the sneaky inclusion of Licor 43, a golden-hued liqueur with forty-three distinct ingredients, that grants it subtle warmth and complexity.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 1

Ingredients

3/4 ounce Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce maple syrup
1/4 ounce Licor 43 (see Note)
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
5 ounces sparkling wine
Garnish: Orange twist

Special Equipment

Champagne Flute

Preparation

  1. Combine the brandy, lemon juice, maple syrup, Licor 43, and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Pour the sparkling wine into a champagne flute, then strain the brandy mixture into the glass. Express the orange twist over the glass and discard.

    Cook's Note: If Licor 43 isn’t available, you can substitute an additional ¼ ounce maple syrup.

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From Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Drinks for Any Occasion © 2018 by Drew Lazor and the editors of PUNCH. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.

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