Our friend Catherine is an elegant and accomplished hostess. I picture her on Thursday emerging from the kitchen bearing a huge, perfectly dressed turkey –and without a bead of sweat on her brow or a spot on her vintage Chanel– and I’ll bet there’s little exaggeration in this vision.
A week or so ago she sent me the recipe for this delicious cocktail, and her timing was (as usual) perfect. The dominant flavor comes from sparkling apple cider, but it’s deepened by the bourbon and given some nice complexity by dry vermouth and bitters. This is a light, pleasantly sweet drink, perfect for sipping in the late afternoon before the transition to Champagne, turkey dinner and Pinot Noir.
Recipe
(for two generous drinks)
1 cup (235ml) sparkling apple cider
3-4 ounces (90-120ml) bourbon whiskey
1 ounce (30ml) dry vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Combine and serve over ice. Lady apples make an exceptionally cute garnish, but apple slices are nice too.
