Fall French 75

The traditional French 75 recipe is served in a Champagne flute. Cocktail purists will disagree, but I like mine in a Collins glass over ice. Bartender and author, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, prefers it this way too and I have come to agree with him. The ice dilution and modified recipe makes the drink more palatable. See for yourself.

The Fall French 75 recipe:

• 1.25 oz gin (I recommend Beefeater)

• 1 oz lemon juice

• .75 oz cinnamon simple syrup*

• 2-3 oz Champagne

• Garnish: cinnamon stick and/or lemon peel

Add your ingredients, except the Champagne to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard until properly diluted. Add the Champagne to the shaker tin and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Garnish and enjoy.

 "I totally get it now, a French 75 is just a Tom Collins with Champagne instead of soda water". - Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Substitutions:

Gin: Personally, I would stick with a London Style Gin here as I prefer the less floral, but juniper forward notes. But an American style gin (i.e. Greylock from Berkshire Mountain Distillers) can be used if that is what you prefer. 

Cinnamon syrup: Regular simple syrup can be used instead or some herbal simple syrup, like thyme or rosemary can be used.

Champagne: A dry Prosecco can be substituted.

*Cinnamon simple syrup recipe>>>

Lion's Tail

From Menu #2:

If you like tart drinks, this one is for you. It's not overly sweet, but it has exceptional spice and richness. This cocktail dates back to the 1930's and was introduced to me not to long ago by my friend Dave and it makes for a perfect shaken Fall cocktail. Bourbon and lime generally aren't mixed together, but the pair with the addition of allspice make for a refreshing drink.

The Lion's Tail recipe:

• 2 oz bourbon

• .5 oz Allspice Dram

• .5 oz lime juice

• 1 dash Angostura bitters

• barspoon simple syrup

• Garnish: grated nutmeg (optional)

Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard. Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. The garnish is optional because it may become too aromatic and spice forward for some people's taste. I like a lot of spice, but I would recommend trying it without any nutmeg first and then add it next time if you like. 

Substitutions:

Bourbon: Stay with bourbon for this one. 

Allspice Dram: Any allspice or pimento dram brand will suffice. Or you can make your own at home.

Big Apple

Fall weather calls for Fall cocktails. This original Manhattan variation gives you apple and spice with subtle sweetness. 

The Big Apple recipe:

• 1 oz bourbon (I recommend Old Grand Dad Bonded or something over 90 proof)

• 1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy

• .75 oz Punt e Mes

• 2 dashes apple bitters

• 2 dashes orange bitters

• barspoon maple syrup

• Garnish: burnt cinnamon stick (about 4inches long)*

In a mixing glass, add your ingredients and then add ice. Stir until properly diluted and strain into a chilled rocks glass. Take a match and light the end of your cinnamon stick until it is nice and charred. Place your cinnamon stick into the cocktail and inhale before you drink. 

*An example on how to burn the end of your cinnamon stick. 

Substitutions:

Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy: Regular Laird's Applejack can be used here if necessary. Or even Calvados.

Punt e Mes: Sweet vermouth can be substituted, but try to use Carpano Antica, which has more body and depth than the standard sweet vermouth's.

Bitters: Apple and orange are relatively common bitters these days. I would suggest finding brands you like and using those. The apple bitters really accentuate the Fall spice notes in this drink. Spiced orange bitters would work nicely too.

Garnish: A pinch of ground cinnamon can be used instead of a burnt cinnamon stick. The burnt cinnamon adds another element to this cocktail for your sense of smell. The aroma fills the glass and compliments the apple notes. A flamed orange peel also works nicely here.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

Cinnamon simple syrup is an incredibly versatile simple syrup. It can be used in many shaken drinks and also in some stirred drinks, like the Old Fashioned. This is a common simple syrup in my fridge and I highly recommend making a batch often. 

• 1 cup Demerara sugar

• 1 cup water

• 6 cinnamon sticks (3-4 inches long)

• pinch salt

Add your sugar, salt and water to a pot on the stove at medium-high heat. Stir to start the sugar dissolving process. Once the water starts to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and add your cinnamon sticks. Continue to stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat to low and let the cinnamon infuse for another 5 to 10 minutes without letting the sugar burn. Take the pot off the burner and let cool. Taste your syrup every hour until it reaches the desired taste. You can infused over night (8 hrs), if needed. Next, discard cinnamon sticks and strain the syrup into an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator for 10 days.

Makes about 8 oz or 1 cup. 

Substitutions:

Demerara sugar: Superfine white sugar can be used instead. I prefer using Demerara or Turbinado sugar for most of my simple syrups as it adds more depth and flavor than the flavorless superfine sugar syrups. 

Cinnamon sticks: You can also crush the sticks to release more flavor or lightly toast the sticks for a "burnt" flavor. Canela cinnamon imparts the best flavor.