Happy Friday! I’m so happy to report we have finally arrived at Fall, the best time of the year! The mornings are crisp, many days start with a hint of fog, the days are cooler, and the nights are downright chilly. To me, Fall has a lot to do with apples as well. If you drive two hours northeast from where I live you will reach an amazing little area, East of Placerville, called Apple Hill. This little community has wonderful, family-run apple orchards, restaurants, and shops, and all things fun. Also, they have tree farms where you can cut your own Christmas trees (or someone will cut them down for you). I’m getting off topic though–today is all about apples. My family and I love taking a nice drive through the Sierras and visiting Apple Hill for wonderful apples, homemade apple juice, cider, baked goods, and a great time!
Apple cider is what we are talking about today. I don’t know about you, but I love apple cider. It’s a sip of Fall with a crisp, refreshing sweetness. It’s great served warm, sipped while sitting next to a fire. It’s great if you drink it cold, add alcohol, or even opt for the hard cider! Apple cider has been around for thousands of years and is a symbol of Autumn around the states. So sticking to my Friday cocktail theme, this week we are doing an Apple Cider Martini. Yum!
As with most martinis, I like to chill my martini glass before-hand to make sure my drink stays nice and cold for a bit. To make the drink, start with a cocktail shaker full of ice, and add some apple cider, vodka, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon. Shake vigorously until ice cold, then strain the cocktail into the glass. For garnish, lay an apple on its side and slice 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick vertical slices, straight across the middle of the apple. Slicing the apple this way gives you a little star shape in the middle of the fruit where the seeds were, which makes for a beautiful decoration. Just make sure to take out the seeds! Enjoy!
