Apple, ginger, apricot and warming spice feature in four cocktail recipes bringing a seasonal twist to drinks at home.
From a fruit-forward Rémy Martin fizz to Mount Gay’s rum-based take on a Negroni, the selection spans refreshing long drinks and richer, spirit-led serves. St-Rémy pairs apple juice with ginger ale and lime, while The Botanist’s Crab Apple Collins calls for a little forward planning, with its gin infusion left to develop for at least a month.
Here are four autumn cocktails to add to your repertoire.
Rémy Martin Apricot Fizz
Apricot Fizz (Credit: Rémy Martin)
Sweet apricot, sharp lime and a touch of vanilla come together in this bright, sparkling cocktail. Rémy Martin VSOP forms the base, with soda water providing a light finish.
Ingredients
50ml Rémy Martin VSOP
10ml lime juice or verjuice
20ml apricot syrup
Club soda, to top up
Vanilla powder or a vanilla stick, to garnish
Method
Add the Rémy Martin VSOP, lime juice or verjuice and apricot syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake, then strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
Top up with club soda.
Garnish with a rim of vanilla powder or a vanilla stick.
Find the full Rémy Martin Apricot Fizz recipe.
The Botanist Crab Apple Collins
Tart crab apple and a green juice made with parsley, celery and coriander give this Collins a fresh, herbaceous character. It is the most preparation-intensive drink in the selection: the supplied recipe calls for the crab apples and gin to infuse for at least a month.
Ingredients
60ml crab apple-infused The Botanist gin
30ml green juice
Soda water, to top up
An apple slice, to garnish
For the green juice
150g parsley
75g celery
75g coriander
500ml cloudy apple juice
Preparation and method
To prepare the infusion, combine crab apples and The Botanist gin in a mason jar. Leave in a dark place at room temperature, such as a cupboard, for at least one month, turning the jar every few days.
Make the green juice by blending the parsley, celery, coriander and cloudy apple juice in a high-speed blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve.
Pour 60ml of the infused gin and 30ml of the green juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled.
Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice.
Top with a splash of soda water and garnish with an apple slice.
The supplied recipe also suggests juicing the infused crab apples for extra flavour and less waste.
Consult The Botanist’s Crab Apple Collins recipe for the full infusion instructions before preparing this drink.
Mount Gay Bajan Spiced Negroni
Bajan Spiced Negroni (Credit: Mount Gay)
Mount Gay’s version of the Negroni swaps the gin for Bajan Spiced rum, pairing it with bitter aperitivo and sweet red vermouth. The result is a rich, bitter cocktail, finished with a lemon twist.
Ingredients
30ml Mount Gay Bajan Spiced rum
30ml bitter aperitivo
30ml sweet red vermouth
A lemon twist, to garnish
Method
Fill a glass with ice.
Add the rum, bitter aperitivo and sweet red vermouth.
Stir gently, then garnish with a lemon twist.mountgayrum
Find the full Mount Gay Bajan Spiced Negroni recipe.
St-Rémy Apple and Ginger
Apple & Ginger (Credit: St-Rémy)
Apple juice and ginger ale bring fruit and spice to this straightforward brandy cocktail. Lime adds a sharp edge, while a cinnamon stick provides a fragrant finishing touch. Built directly in the glass, it needs no cocktail shaker.
Ingredients
50ml St-Rémy XO
40ml ginger ale
40ml apple juice
20ml lime juice
1 cinnamon stick, to garnish
Method
Pour the St-Rémy XO, ginger ale, apple juice and lime juice into a tumbler filled with ice.
Stir to combine.
Garnish with the cinnamon stick and serve.
Find the full St-Rémy Apple and Ginger recipe.
