Fall Martini; or did I reinvent the Appletini?
Back in October 2020, I wanted to create a riff on the classic with unaged apple brandy as the star. So I called on the exceptional gin from Neversink, which uses apple eau de vie as the base and features some beautiful spice notes. This married perfectly with “Jersey Lightning,” an unaged apple brandy from Laird’s. The aromatized wines weren’t hard to choose; I used an extra dry vermouth by Noilly Prat and the Bodegas Hidalgo Manzanilla “La Guita.” The combination of the two gave the drink a bright salinity, which is further bolstered by homemade Martin “brine.” I added a small measure of Salers to bring out the earthy flavors already present in the drink. I called it a fall Martini, but it’s just as appropriate for spring.
INGREDIENTS
¾ oz. gin, preferably Neversink
¾ oz. unaged apple brandy
¾ oz. dry vermouth
½ oz. Manzanilla sherry
¼ oz. gentian liqueur
¼ oz. brine
ABV LEVEL
Combine all in a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with a Castelvetrano olive on a pick.
