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Cocktail History
The Apple Crush is an autumn cocktail that was created by bar manager and author Nick Mautone and was first published in his book The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails. The recipe pairs many of the go-to flavors of the season, such as apple, maple, and cinnamon, with the potency of brandy and vodka and the tartness of lemon to make a delightful punch.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with apples, pears, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Laird’s Applejack because it’s a high quality and flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try apple cider or unsweetened apple juice in place of the apple brandy.
Vodka: This is a spirit made with grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. We used Russian Standard Gold Vodka because it’s smooth and easy to sip. For a mocktail version of this drink, try STRYKK Not V*dka in place of the vodka.
Apple Cider: This is a beverage made with freshly pressed apple juice and baking spices. We used The Glass Orchard Apple Cider because it’s fresh, delicious, and made locally to us.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Maple Sugar: This is a sugar made with the sap from a maple tree.
Apple: This is a fruit. We used a Honeycrisp apple.
Cinnamon Stick: This is a spice. We used cinnamon sticks from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Apple Corer: This is used to core and slice apples. We used the OXO Good Grips Apple Corer, Slicer, & Divider.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Ziploc Bag: This is used to hold the apple cubes. We used a Ziploc Snack Bag.
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-12.
Tasting Notes
The Apple Crush features aromas of maple and cinnamon followed by the distinct tastes of apple cider, citrus, and brandy spice.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We thought the taste of the Apple Crush perfectly encapsulated that feeling of snuggling on the sofa after a long day of apple picking while a crisp breeze softly blows in the aroma of a bonfire through an open window all wrapped into one little cup. Not to mention, it’s quite boozy, which we enjoyed.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails by Nick Mautone.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-12.
Apple Crush
The Apple Crush is an autumn cocktail that was created by bar manager and author Nick Mautone and was first published in his book The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails. The recipe pairs many of the go-to flavors of the season, such as apple, maple, and cinnamon, with the potency of brandy and vodka and the tartness of lemon to make a delightful punch.
Ingredients
Method
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Core and cube apple.
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Add apple cubes to a zip lock bag with ½ oz lemon juice, seal, toss gently, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
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Pour maple sugar onto a plate, rub outer rim of a punch cup with simple syrup, and roll cup in sugar until coated.
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Add three apple cubes to cup.
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Add apple brandy, vodka, apple cider, ¼ oz lemon juice, and ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into cup.
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Toast the end of a cinnamon stick with a match.
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Garnish with toasted cinnamon stick.
