Fall is upon us. It’s time to reach for the flavors of the season with an apple cocktail from the Big Apple. I’m toasting Kamei’s Apple puzzle with a cocktail creation from a pair of friends from New York, Tiffany and Joe, who host the “Two Coupes” cocktail feed. Theirs is an adorable story of two entertainers sharing great drinks in the city, and their photos always feature, you guessed it, a pair of cocktails. They have one of the best home bars in Manhattan, I’d wager, and often feature their own creative cocktails.

Their Aplomb is a real treat for the season and I could hardly wait for apple season to mix one up. They relate that the drink emerged from a desire to create a Manhattan riff that expressed the change in season from summer to fall. It’s anchored with apple brandy, split slightly with rye whiskey, and balanced with Amontillado sherry, a great nutty flavored choice for fall. Joe explains, “Having floral & citrus notes play with fall fruits like apples & pears and tied together with the fresh herbal notes of rosemary. The amontillado brings in nutty salinity and a juicy acidity as a replacement for sweet vermouth. The split base of rye provides accents of spice and vanilla.” Sweetness also comes from a mix of delicious grapefruit liqueur and a hint of rosemary syrup which lends a nice touch of seasonal flavor. The playful bitters round it all out. What about the name? Again from Joe, “I believe when I created this one the word popped into my head as a play on the word apple. Also, Tiffany was about to start rehearsals for her 10th season of Rockettes and I thought the cocktail presented itself a bit showy!” It’s a lovely composed and self-assured drink – I think it shows great aplomb. Cheers!

Aplomb by Two Coupes

1 oz apple brandy

½ oz rye

¾ oz Amontillado sherry

¼ oz pear brandy

¼ oz pamplemousse liqueur

1 tsp rosemary syrup

1 dash grapefruit and lavender bitters

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Arrow through the apple garnish optional!