Fall From The Tree

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Cocktail History

The Fall From The Tree is an autumn cocktail that was created by bartender Jim Kearns while at The Happiest Hour in New York City, New York.

Staying true to the bar’s approach of building a cocktail from its supporting flavors, the recipe starts with a blend of apple cider, cinnamon syrup, fresh lemon juice, and aromatic bitters. These seasonal ingredients provide a warm, spiced foundation that evokes the essence of fall, and then the base spirit is intentionally flexible—allowing drinkers to choose between apple brandy, Cognac, or whiskey. Apple brandy is often the preferred choice because it complements the cider’s fruity notes, but Cognac adds a luxurious touch, while whiskey provides a bolder, smokier edge. This customizable approach ensures the cocktail can suit a variety of palates while delivering the comforting, cozy flavors of the season.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with fermented apple juice and yeast, which is distilled and aged to develop a smooth, fruity flavor.

Apple Cider: This is a beverage made with fresh-pressed apple juice that’s typically unfiltered to produce a sweet, slightly tangy fruit flavor.

Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a spiced, aromatic flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.

Apple: This is a type of fruit grown on apple trees that has smooth red, green, or yellow skin and a mild, sweet to tart flavor.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Laird’s Blended Applejack
• 🔗 The Glass Orchard Apple Cider
• 🔗 Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Apple Corer: This is a handheld kitchen tool with circular blades and a center coring ring that’s used for coring and slicing apples into uniform wedges.

Cocktail Pick: This is a small, slender skewer made from metal, wood, or bamboo that’s used for holding cocktail garnishes in place.

Coupe Glass: This is a stemmed glass with a shallow, wide bowl that’s used for serving shaken cocktails and sparkling drinks without ice.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Apple Corer, Slicer, & Divider
• 🔗 I-MART Gold Metal Cocktail Pick Set

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Light golden color

• Aroma: Apple with airy citrus notes

• Taste: Straightforward apple and brandy flavor accented with cinnamon and lemon

• Finish: More fruit with a kick of allspice

Kendall’s Take
“This recipe leans confidently into apple season, like a day of apple-picking or enjoying a cozy hayride in a glass. The apple brandy brings that crisp, orchard-fresh flavor front and center, making it an easy crowd-pleaser during the fall months. I’d say the Fall From The Tree is straightforward, cozy, and exactly the kind of drink that feels right at home at a harvest gathering or Thanksgiving table.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the publication Liquor.com.