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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, and his goal was to take the flavors of a mulled cider but tweak the 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 whiskey made in Scotland with malt or grain, spices, alcohol, and water. We used The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky because its smoky and sweet flavor works well in cocktails. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Green Label Single Malt Whiskey Non-Alcoholic Alternative in place of the whisky.
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.
Amaro Averna: This is a liqueur made in Italy with bitter orange peels, lemon, pomegranate, herbs, spices, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Dr. Zero Zero ArmarNo Non-Alcoholic Amaro in place of the amaro.
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.
Allspice Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with allspice berries, spices, sugar, and rum. We used St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram. For a mocktail version of this drink, try homemade allspice Demerara syrup in place of the allspice liqueur.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
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. 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.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
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 2024-10-14.
Tasting Notes
The Flannel Shirt has bright orange aromas with a touch of smokiness, and the sip begins with a smooth apple-forward flavor that continues into an explosion of smokiness, bitter-sweetness, and spices while held in the mouth, all of which follow the drink down the throat and result in that deep feeling of coziness.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We both really, really liked the Flannel Shirt. Kendall, who doesn’t typically go for Scotch, felt the other flavors made it very palatable. And Alex, who loves a bit of smokiness, found it to be absolutely amazing and will definitely be adding this to the roster of seasonal favorites.
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 this being a pick for those who want to experience the tastes of autumn without having to try a kitschy pumpkin drink.”
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.
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 2024-10-14.
Flannel Shirt
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, and his goal was to take the flavors of a mulled cider but tweak the 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.
Ingredients
Method
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Add Scotch, apple cider, Amaro Averna, lemon juice, simple syrup, allspice liqueur, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a cocktail glass over fresh cubed ice.
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Garnish with orange peel.
