Not Your Mother’s Apple Martini

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Apple martinis.

They can be so cliché and cloyingly sweet and leave you with regrets the next day.

This drink will probably leave you with regrets as well but it makes up for that by making you feel very classy beforehand.

It’s inspired by my trip to an apple orchard where I went apple picking.

I picked some teeny tiny apples.

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You can’t tell but they are really tiny apples, man.

Like, so cute I cried when I had to cut into them.

This apple martini is slightly sweet and sour but no where near as chemically tasting as a sour apple martini and there is room for adjustment to your liking.

First thing to mention here is the use of shrubs or drinking vinegar in this recipe. For more info you can read this. Otherwise just go with it and trust me you won’t be sorry. It’s waaaaay better than that sour pucker shit.

You can buy or make your own shrub. I decided to buy my first shrub just to have a frame of reference for when I try to make my own.

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I got PokPok’s apple shrub from amazon for like $20 for a 16oz bottle. A little goes a long way and they have loads of flavors to choose from.

It’s perfectly tangy and sweet and it is basically a sweetened vinegar syrup so it hits all over the palate and is good enough to drink simply diluted with sparking water as a refreshing soda.

Next you need a dark liquor, preferably apple flavored.

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You don’t need both of these to be honest. You can use either one alone and just use 2 1/2 oz of it for the recipe below. I just used both to build layers and flavors.

If you had to pick one, I would recommend just using the calvados which is an apple brandy. You could also use applejack if you prefer. I used Hennessy because I already had some and I used the calvados just to reinforce the apple flavor.

Finally, you need a hard cider:

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I found this at BevMo! and chose it because of the packaging (it’s a problem I have and it’s only getting worse) and I ended up really liking it, not to sweet and not too dry.

I made a gingersnap rim because Fall.

All you need is a few gingersnaps and some pent up rage 🙂

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Once the drink is rimmed, combine the ingredients (recipe below) in a shaker filled with ice.

Shake till very cold and pour.

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I like to garnish with an apple slice and a wedge of cheddar cheese.

Mmmm cheddar cheese

*in Homer Simpson’s voice*

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Mmmm cheddar cheese apple martini with gingersnap rim mmmm

*also in Homer Simpson’s voice*

RECIPE

1 1/2 oz cognac (or your favorite dark liquor)
1 oz calvados (or applejack)
1 1/2 oz apple shrub (a.k.a. drinking vinegar)
4 oz hard cider

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake till cold. Pour into a martini glass.
Garnish with an apple slice in the drink and a wedge of cheddar cheese on the rim, which I have dipped in ground up gingersnaps.


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