Honey Apple Martini – cocktail of the month

November 25, 2008 | By: Stef

One fall drink before we head off into the land of peppermint schnapps and hot toddies…

I love having a signature drink for every get-together I throw, something seasonal that compliments the theme. So for my 2008 Halloween party, apples instantly came to mind. Apple trees, bobbing for apples, the caramel apples that the big house in the neighborhood used to give out to trick or treaters, to me apples scream “Fall”.

All online searches lead me to the apple martini. Don’t get me wrong, I love a martini. But the traditional apple martini is more Jolly Rancher than freshly picked. So I knew I was going to have to whip up something on my own.

A ramble down the liquor isle at the market led me to Wild Turkey American Honey Liqueur. The recipe came to like a bolt of sweet lightening. Honey Whiskey mixed with Apple Cider and Ginger Ale and voilà-one of my more successful ideas was born!

Here’s what Wild Turkey has to say about American Honey, which is the only bourbon-based liqueur on the market. “Wild Turkey liqueur brings out the best flavors of our premium bourbon, but with real honey to give it a sweetness that’s hard to resist. The palate is a bit like syrup and glides around the mouth with obvious notes of vanilla and citrus.”

This a sweet drink, but the bourbon adds richness and the apple cider and ginger ale gives it a bite too. But for the lazy, the American Honey is great chilled on it’s own too. Bottoms up!

Honey Apple Martini

1 shot (2 oz) Wild Turkey American Honey
1 shot Apple Cider *
1 shot Ginger Ale

Shake first 2 ingredients in a martini shaker filled with ice (crushed is best).
Pour into large martini glass and top with Ginger Ale. **
Garnish with thin slice of apple. Makes One drink.

* If you can’t find cider, Simply Apple brand 100% juice is quite good and very cider-like.
** I prefer Vernors Ginger Ale, which has a stronger ginger taste than others.

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