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Cocktail History
The Poison Apple is a Halloween cocktail that was first published on Delish, an online food and beverage blog. The original recipe was created to be somewhat of a sweet seasonal spectacle because it called for Fireball whiskey, cranberry juice, apple cider, grenadine, and edible glitter. This version turns it into a more sophisticated concoction that’s still tasty but uses rye instead of Fireball, omits the grenadine and glitter, and adds lemon for more balance.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Rye: This is a type of whiskey made with at least 51% rye grain, malted barley, corn, and water. I used Hudson Whiskey Do The Rye Thing.
Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, white sugar, gum Arabic powder, saline solution, and water. I made mine at home using this sous vide recipe.
Cranberry Juice: This is the liquid juice of a fresh cranberry. I used Simple Organic Cranberry Cocktail.
Apple Cider: This is a beverage made with freshly pressed apple juice and baking spices. I used The Glass Orchard Apple Cider.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Apple: This is a red fruit with a mealy texture. I used a Honeycrisp apple.
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.
Apple Corer: This is used to core and slice apples. I used the OXO Good Grips Apple Corer, Slicer, & Divider.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Skull Top Cocktail Pick.
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Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Bright apple red color
• Aroma: Apple and baking spices
• Taste: Sweet candy apple flavor accented with spicy rye and lemon undertones
• Finish: Bitter cranberry and whiskey
Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kendall’s Take: “As far as custom variations go, this is probably one of the sweetest I’ve ever made. It has a bit of a candy apple quality to it, but it still manages to be quite serious in spicy flavor and list of ingredients. I would call the Poison Apple a great Halloween drink for a large party where you want something unique and seasonal that will still please every palate.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Delish, an online food and beverage blog.
Poison Apple
The Poison Apple is a Halloween cocktail that was first published on Delish, an online food and beverage blog. The original recipe was created to be somewhat of a sweet seasonal spectacle because it called for Fireball whiskey, cranberry juice, apple cider, grenadine, and edible glitter. This version turns it into a more sophisticated concoction that's still tasty but uses rye instead of Fireball, omits the grenadine and glitter, and adds lemon for more balance.
Ingredients
Method
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Add whiskey, cinnamon syrup, cranberry juice, apple cider, lemon juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
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Garnish with apple slices.
