As I established in last year’s Fall cocktail post, I will pass on pumpkin spice but love everything apple. I grew up in Maine picking a variety of apples every fall. We would come home and turn them into pies, cobblers, and applesauce. I love an apple cider donut and don’t let a single autumn pass without buying a half gallon of local cider in Kansas City. I was recently experimenting with some new apple juice and rum cocktails that I think are perfect for Fall. They are balanced and include the flavors I think everyone wants as the leaves start to change color. We’ll use homemade and store-bought apple juice and different rums.
1. Autumn Old Fashioned
When I received some new bitters from El Guapo, the Chicory Pecan bitters struck me as perfect for Fall cocktails. I knew I wanted to make something flavorful but simple with apple juice and rum. This drink was delicious and is a great riff on an Old Fashioned. I used a smoked dried pear garnish. If you are looking to smoke your own pears, this post is helpful. For this cocktail, I used Plantation Dark Rum.
Autumn Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 2 oz aged rum
- 1.5 oz organic apple juice
- 3 dashes El Guapo Chicory Pecan bitters
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir 20-30 seconds and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube.
- [Optional] Garnish with a smoked dried pear.
2. Granny Smith Daiquiri
Granny Smith apples are one of my favorite fruits. I love how tart and juicy they are. Given the natural sweetness of rum, I knew that some fresh apple juice would make for the perfect pairing. This drink did not disappoint. If you like your drinks more booze forward, just add a little more rum. I wanted the apple flavor to really shine so I left the peels on when I juiced the apples. Plus, the color is beautiful.
I love using this juicer that I got from my parents years ago. It produces great juice with almost dry pulp, which means it’s not wasting much of the fruit. I use it for a variety of syrups and juices and it’s easy to clean. I got nearly 3/4 of cup of fresh juice from one Granny Smith apple. For this cocktail I used Mount Gay Rum Eclipse from Barbados. It’s slightly funky thanks to the blend of rums distilled in copper pot and column stills. After distillation it is then matured for 2 years in American whiskey casks. Chef’s kiss!
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz rum
- 3 oz fresh Granny Smith apple juice
- 0.75 oz simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake for 20-30 seconds until shaker tin is cold.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass and serve.
3. Fall in the Islands
Last but not least is my take on a Fall tiki drink. I love tiki cocktails but it seems like they are all conjuring up Summer vibes. So, I figured adding some fun flavors to apple juice and rum would be a real treat. If you’re looking for inspiration on what flavors work well together, I love these books. The overall effect of this drink is still balanced and very sippable. I used Havana Club 3 year (which you need to buy outside of the United States) but Bacardí Superior White rum also works nicely. For the aged rum, I used Clement V.S.O.P. rum. If you are looking for an awesome pebble ice maker, check out this post.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz unaged rum
- 1.5 oz apple juice
- 0.5 oz ginger liqueur
- 0.5 oz Allspice Dram
- 0.5 oz aged rum
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake for 20-30 seconds and strain into a tiki glass full of crushed or pebble ice.
- [Optional] Garnish with candied ginger.
And there you have three delicious apple juice and rum cocktails just in time for Fall. Although you can drink them any time of year. Cheers!
