Apple Cocktails for Fall and Thanksgiving photo copyright Cheri Loughlin

There are vague memories in childhood of being in an orchard gathering fresh apples with my mother and siblings for baked goodies.  I could romanticize it and say it was all fun and games with tree climbing, hide and seek and bushels of fun, but in all honesty I can’t remember.  To this day the real memory is the beauty of rows upon rows of trees with beautiful apples ripe for the plucking.  The part of the country I spent time very young also has gorgeous foliage during the fall.  Ripe, crisp apples remind me of fall no matter the time of year.  They are best crisp, lightly sweet with lingering tart in the finish.  Plucked Apple balances an apple’s crispness with fresh plucked feel.

Plucked Apple – created by Cheri Loughlin

Plucked Apple - Fall Thanksgiving Apple - photo copyright Cheri Loughlin1 part Apple Rum

1/2 part Sour Apple Pucker

1-1/2 Cranberry Juice

Build in an Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice.  Tastes like a fresh granny smith apple.  Crisp, tart, clean flavor with sweetness balanced by the tart.

The little dessert in a glass without all the baked crust trappings – that is the goodness within the Apple Tartlet cocktail.  No need to peel and slice apples, roll out fresh pie crust or sprinkle cinnamon and sugar all over the floor of the kitchen.  Of course, one could always whip up an Apple Tartlet cocktail and then begin the process of baking.  Pie crust cookies are indeed ‘the bomb’ with their crisp layers of flaky deliciousness.  Personally I’d go for dessert cocktail and pie crust cookies, saving the apples for garnish another day.

Apple Tartlet – created by Cheri Loughlin

Apple Tartlet - Fall Thanksgiving Apple - photo copyright Cheri Loughlin1 part Berentzen ApfelKorn Schnapps

1/2 part Amaretto

1/4 part Goldschlager Cinnamon Schnapps

1/2 part Irish Cream

1 part Half & Half

Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake thoroughly to blend and chill.  Strain into a cocktail glass.

Buttered Apple is great for going the long haul.  This easy sipper builds nicely over ice using widely available spirits.  Sit back and relax while watching movies, football or playing games with family.  Making memories over the Thanksgiving holiday time is more than gathering for turkey dinner and Black Friday shop ‘til you drop.  Bring out decks of cards and poker chips, start up a game of Monopoly or Risk, or begin flipping through old photo albums while classic black and white movies play in the background.  Enjoy the moment without rushing.

Buttered Apple – created by Cheri Loughlin

Buttered Apple - Fall Thanksgiving Apple - photo copyright Cheri Loughlin1 part Apple Rum

1/2 part Sour Apple Pucker

1/4 part Butterscotch Schnapps

2-1/2 parts Ginger Ale

Build over ice in a highball glass.  The Butterscotch Schnapps warms the apple flavor up with a sort of burnt brown sugar feel that is very appealing.

Cheri Loughlin is a leading cocktail and photography resource for beverage companies, event planners, businesses and individuals. High resolution cocktail and beverage stock photography images are available in downloadable digital format in the newly redesigned Stock Photography Gallery at www.cheriloughlin.com.

Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon – str8upcocktails @ gmail.com – ©2012 Cheri Loughlin-The Intoxicologist, All Rights Reserved. All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin.

Apple of My Eye Cocktails