Fall’s Modern Cocktail

At least once a year I invent a cocktail as a kind of signature welcome for friends and family visiting us at the Cottage. I try to invent seasonally, but that doesn’t always work out schedule-wise. Work does tend to get in the way of mid-day drink-mixing. Beth had to find her own way home from work one afternoon when some cocktail refinement got me too wobbly to drive and pick her up. Fortunately, she thought that was funny and didn’t get mad that she’d been at the office all day like a chump while I was home shakin’ it with my tins. (Plus, you know, cocktails were waiting for her when she got home.)

Today I’m going to share last year’s winner because it’s a fall and winter cocktail and with company coming for Thanksgiving, it seems timely. Now, we’re fans of the classics here. Our favorites are gimlets, sidecars, Manhattans and martinis. Often my custom drinks are spins on those tried-and-true winners. Such is the case with this one. Be forewarned, this is no Jack & Coke you can throw together in a rush when friends stop by. This requires a few steps in preamble, but nothing difficult.

The Autumn Sidecar

1/2 oz. Spiced Simple Syrup (recipe below)

2 oz. Calvados

1 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice (lemon if you have that instead)

2 oz. pear nectar

ice

Put all ingredients into a shaker, shake madly, strain out into a chilled glass. Garnish with a slice of orange (or lemon if you used that instead of orange).

Note: I make my own pear nectar by putting 2 peeled pears in a food processor, whirring the fruit to oblivion, then forcing the results through a fine mesh sieve. Fresh nectar yields a slightly thicker drink than store-bought nectar.

Spiced Simple Syrup

1 cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

2 strips of orange peel, pith removed

1/2 pear, peeled and quartered

1 c sugar

1c h2o

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a small pot on the stove. Heat on med until sugar has melted into water. Let simmer gently for at least 15 minutes. (I generally let it go about an hour on a low simmer to really intensify the spicy flavors.)

When cool, pour into a container (I use an empty half-pint liquor bottle). Cool completely before using unless you want a warm, melty cocktail. Ew.

Should last about 2 weeks in the fridge.