This is the first real weekend of fall. Yeah, it might’ve officially started a couple of weeks ago, but I haven’t needed a sweatshirt to leave the house, nor have I been able to sleep without air conditioning. The nip in the air is real now, though, and I’m ready to admit autumn has sprung. On top of everything else, playoff baseball is in full swing, football has picked up, and the leaves are starting to change – all the harbingers of the fall and winter months.
Oh, and apples. Apples galore.
If you’re a sucker for that warm, spiced apple-cinnamon flavor, you’ll love this. And if you stayed up last night for the longest game in MLB postseason history only to watch your poor Nationals lose, you might need it (WHY DIDN’T THEY LET ZIMMERMANN FINISH THE GAME????).
Okay. Deep breaths. We’re not talking about baseball.
But seriously, pulling your ace with two outs in the ninth in favor of your closer who hasn’t pitched in the playoffs since the team’s epic collapse two years ago?
I’m really done now. Promise.
Back to this drink – nothing could be more perfect for a crisp autumn weekend. Apple cider provides the base, while sweet, almond-flavored amaretto adds another dimension. There’s vodka, too, since too much amaretto is really not a good thing (and because yesterday was National Vodka Day, apparently), and we add a little extra cinnamon for good measure. Poured over ice in cinnamon-sugar rimmed glasses, it’s pretty, tasty, and utterly autumnal.
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1.5 ounces vodka
- 1.5 ounces amaretto liqueur
- 6 ounces apple cider
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Whole cinnamon sticks to garnish, optional
- Ice cubes
- Pour maple syrup into a shallow dish. Combine cinnamon and sugar in another small dish.
- Press the rim of each glass into the syrup, then into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Fill glasses with ice.
- In a mason jar or cocktail shaker, combine more ice cubes, vodka, amaretto, cider, and cinnamon. Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. Strain into glasses and garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired. Serve immediately.
Source: barely adapted from WikiHow
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I am definitely a sucker for that apple-cinnamon flavor so these will be perfect for me! Also great to learn that there is such a thing as National Vodka Day 😀
I never knew until I started a food blog that there’s a day for pretty much everything (although Nat’l Vodka Day is the clear winner)!