The temperatures are beginning to drop in the evenings, and, for me, that means my cocktails start to move away from Tequila Anejo, Reposado, and Gin and into Rye, Bourbon and Whiskey as the base alcohol.

I rarely drink vodka – it usually winds up in pie crust, or if I am trying to infuse a tincture of Carolina reapers in a nitrogen siphon. Rarely in drinks, since it doesn’t bring flavor for me. All it brings to the party is more booze. That’s good in punches or fruit-heavy freezes, but I think rum does a better job of pairing with fruit than vodka.

I like brown liquor and broody, complex cocktails when the nights are cool, and the leaves are threatening to change, and the tomatoes suddenly burst into action, hoping to be harvested before the first frost comes and draws life back into the earth. Gin occasionally makes an appearance in a Negroni, but this time of year brings apples and harvest to mind.

Ingredients:

4.0 oz Izze Apple Soda
1.75 oz Calvados Fine (Apple brandy)
1.75 oz Bulleit Rye Whiskey
.25 oz St. Germain Liqueur

Ice

As we drift further into Autumn, add .25 oz St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram in place of the St. Germain.

Stir the booze over ice and top with the soda in a highball or Collins glass.

Sip. I like a metal straw for this since it brings the cool to the lip.