Cheers To Fall

Refreshments for the over and under 21 crowd.

Hot Apple Pie Cocktail
This is so delicious it begs to be drunk often and makes a perfect fall cocktail. Tuaca is an Italian liqueur with deep roots and a wonderful citrus and vanilla hint and, when combined with hot apple cider, it is extremely comforting and soothing.

Ingredients:
2 oz Tuaca
hot apple cider
whipped cream
cinnamon stick for garnish

Preparation:
Pour the Tuaca in an Irish coffee glass.
Fill with hot apple cider.
Top with whipped cream.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Except for the ice cream (which you could serve along side this drink for a dessert pairing), this cocktail does a fair job of replicating the taste of apple crisp in a glass. The Apple Crisp cocktail is one that uses cake-flavored vodka quite well without coming across as an overly sweet drink. It features UV Cake mixed with Revel Stoke Spiced Whisky and is accented with maple syrup and apples. The result is a spicy, sweet dessert cocktail that is balanced and ideal an ideal comfort cocktail for those chilly autumn days.


Calabatini
The Calabatini is an excellent tequila-based Pumpkin Martini. The name is derived from the Spanish word for pumpkin, calabaza. This pumpkin cocktail is considerably creamier than many of the others and makes an excellent autumnal dessert drink, especially after that giant Thanksgiving dinner with family.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Herradura Reposado Tequila
1/2 oz Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup
3 oz half-and-half
cinnamon for garnish

Preparation:
Add ice to cocktail shaker and the ingredients in the order listed above.
Shake well and strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with cinnamon.


Cardinal Punch (non alcoholic)
Cardinal Punch is an easy, fruit-filled punch that is great when hosting any type of party, especially outdoor events in the spring and summer. You can keep the same ratio of ingredients and adapt this recipe to fill a punch bowl. I also like to keep a pitcher of the juice mix stored in the refrigerator. It's more complex than the straight bottled juices and, with a bottle of ginger ale on hand, can be transformed into this refreshing mocktail.

Ingredients:
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz Ginger ale
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 oz orange juice
lemon and orange slices for garnish

Preparation:
Pour the juices into a collins glass half filled with ice cubes.
Top with the ginger ale.
Garnish with orange and lemon slices.