Flannel Shirt

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Cocktail History

The Flannel Shirt is an autumn cocktail that was created by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, a drinks writer and bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon. He was tasked with making the recipe for an event, with a goal of tweaking the mulled cider template so it could be served cold. The result combines a sharp Scotch whisky backbone with the warming flavors of apple cider and baking spices, along with tart lemon and the slightly bitter note of amaro.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Scotch: This is a type of whisky made in Scotland with malted barley or grains and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in wooden barrels to develop a smoky, complex 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.

Amaro Averna: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a blend of herbs, roots, citrus peels, and spices, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bittersweet, slightly caramelized flavor.

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

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Allspice Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with allspice berries, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended, infused, and sometimes aged to develop a warm, spiced flavor.

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.

Orange Peel: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a strip.

Bartending Tools

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

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I 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. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Orange-brown color

• Aroma: Orange and smoke

• Taste: Smooth apple-forward flavor that explodes into smokiness and spices

• Finish: Bittersweet Scotch and amaro notes

Kendall’s Take: “My palate is still much too underdeveloped for me to really enjoy Scotch drinks, but this was surprisingly good! And it also tastes nothing like what I expected from the smoky aroma. The Scotch was muted just enough by the apple cider to be drinkable. I could certainly see the Flannel Shirt being a pick for those who want to experience the tastes of autumn without having to try a kitschy pumpkin cocktail.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.