Appletinis

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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.

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.

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.

Apricot Rhyme

Rye plus thyme (rhyme, get it?). This cocktail from Ryan Gannon of The Spotted Pig is herbal on the nose, more fruit-forward on the finish.

Apple Crisp Cocktail

This autumnal highball from Union Square Cafe in NYC brings together Laird's bonded apple brandy with bourbon that's been infused with spicy green cardamom pods.

Jack Rose

This classic cocktail combines applejack with grenadine, lemon, and bitters.

Harvest Moon

"When we get to this season," says PDT's Jim Meehan, we switch from white spirits like tequila or white rum to brown ones like rye, and move toward stirred cocktails instead of refreshing, hydrating shaken ones." This fall drink uses Lillet Blanc as a counterweight, picking up the orange flavors and connecting the base spirits to the liqueur and bitters.

Bee's Knees

A Prohibition-era cocktail designed to mask a bad gin, but delicious with a great one.