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採蘋果季節往往在派餅吃完後，冰箱裡仍留著一壺蘋果汁。將它放在爐上暖熱是一種選項，但其中的一部分也應該進入 Old Fashioned，與自葉子轉黃以來就一直你會端起的波本酒並列。儘管這款經典雞尾酒的歷史有些模糊，但它的基本藍圖仍然是十九世紀初的——烈酒、糖、水與苦味劑。蘋果汁很容易融入這個陣容。加一點點就能增添蘋果園的果香與些微酸味，而不會讓飲料變成其他的東西。
Heaven Hill 的資深調酒師 Lynn House 將秋季視為她一年中最喜歡的時節，部分原因在於果園水果正值季節且新鮮的蘋果汁容易取得。一旦天氣轉涼，她就會在自己的 Old Fashioned 中加入一點點。“這會讓雞尾酒更有亮度，並喚起季節的感覺，”House 說。就紙面而言，這種搭配相當合理：波本因為橡木桶的焦糖、香草與烘焙香料風味而更具吸引力，而這些風味恰恰也是讓蘋果汁成為甜味波本混搭的原因。
然而，並非每種蘋果汁都適用。Total Wine & More 的首席混酒師與烈酒教育家 Molly Horn 同意「加入蘋果汁是為你最喜歡的 Old Fashioned 增添秋季風味的美味方式」，但她建議家庭吧台的調酒師面對的是更濃郁、更加飽滿的瓶裝蘋果汁。她解釋說，這種風格會「增強，而非削弱，一款出色攪拌雞尾酒的質地」。具體而言，你會想要在冷藏區尋找未過濾的蘋果汁——你可以用渾濁的外觀辨識它與一般汁液的差異。清澈、過濾的蘋果汁較稀薄且較甜，可能會讓杯中風味顯得有點被稀釋。
Two ways to build an apple cider Old Fashioned
House calls her version the Deciduous Old Fashioned, and it keeps the bourbon front and center, with cider playing a supporting role, joined by a small amount of Monin Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup in place of plain sugar and a few dashes of Fee Brothers Old Fashion Aromatic Bitters (a cinnamon-heavy cousin of Angostura). The syrup is where the drink tips toward dessert. “Pairing it with a spiced brown sugar syrup turns this cocktail into something that reminds me of my grandmother’s fresh baked apple pies,” House says. For the base, she pours Heaven Hill’s Elijah Craig Small Batch, a 94-proof bourbon, “because its stone and orchard fruit notes complement the cider.”
Horn has a richer route for anyone who wants more apple flavor. She suggests splitting the base between a bold, high-rye bourbon and a cider whiskey such as King’s Creek Black Label Cider (which Total Wine carries). She describes it as “a deliciously rich and unctuous, mulled-apple-forward whiskey.” Because the bottle comes in at just 15% ABV and already tastes of apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg, Horn calls it “the perfect ‘sweetener’ for this drink.” High-rye bourbon bottles, usually 20% rye or more in the mash bill, bring a peppery bite that keeps all that apple from going syrupy.
Bitters finish the job. “Angostura bitters are always a great option for fall, what with their heavy kitchen-spice profile, but for a little more depth I like to use black walnut bitters,” Horn says — black walnut’s toasty edge suits the baked apple note. Stir, don’t shake, and be sure to give it a taste before garnishing, since cider sweetness varies. As for the garnish, skip the orange peel for a thin apple slice to reinforce the fall flavor.
