Applejack Rabbit

At PDT, Jim Meehan uses local Deep Mountain Grade B maple syrup in this classic cocktail, but any Grade B syrup will work. It adds a deep, complex flavor to this bright, tart, and delicious drink.

Pink Lady

The Pink Lady is built on a foundation of gin, with lemon juice for tartness and egg white for body, along with a note of grenadine to both sweeten and color the drink. But the Pink Lady needs additional fortification, and that's where a mild dose of applejack comes in; this lends more depth and backbone to the drink, and makes it about as unassuming as the brick that file clerk is packing around in her purse.

The Rose

Rescued from a vintage bar menu by cocktail historian David Wondrich, the Rose enjoyed a brief flash of popularity at the Chatham Hotel in Paris in the 1920s. Good luck finding it since then, which is a shame; soft, floral, lightly sweet and with a titillating aroma from the cherry eau de vie, the Rose is an exercise in delicate decadence, a drink that, like the Widow's Kiss, can put the imbiber in a mindset from a completely different era.

Peach and Rosemary Cocktail

A refreshing summer cocktail made with fresh peaches, rosemary, and bourbon.

Larchmont

One of the most highly sought-after books is The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, a volume first printed in 1948, written not by a bartender but by a New York lawyer named David Embury who was determined to establish a system of proper rules for mixing drinks. Most of the drinks he covered were ones that were already in regular rotation in New York bars. Here's one of his originals, the Larchmont.

Roses in the Snow Cocktail

The delicate aroma of roses is the star in this variation on a Gin Fizz cocktail.

Michael Neff's Gin-Applejack Punch

We asked Michael Neff of Ward III in Tribeca to design a cocktail that we could make in a big batch for our office cookie exchange party. The only ingredient we stipulated was applejack. But we didn't want typical fall flavors: no ginger or nutmeg, no cinnamon. Been there, done that.

The Arnaud's Special

With the advance of autumn, it's time to break out the dark-spirit drinks suitable to the cooler seasons. The Arnaud's Special is a close cousin to the Rob Roy, and was the house cocktail for Arnaud's Restaurant in New Orleans during the 1940s and '50s.

Apple Brandy Old-Fashioned

An Old-Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail is a simple mixture of whiskey, sugar, bitters and a citrus peel. It is a sublimely simple and delicious preparation for a wide range of spirits besides just whiskey—rum, tequila, brandy—and a fine apple brandy is no exception. Showcasing the earthy flavor of fermented apples with just a bit of sugar and bitters is a perfect preparation to enjoy classic holiday flavors in a new way.

Smoked-Rosemary Rum Punch

Holding fresh rosemary over the flame of your gas stove (or a candle) lends savory, woodsy flavors to this rum punch. Gold rum adds a rich, velvety sweetness, while overproof rum contributes earthy, musky complexity.