Cold Weather Cocktails Seasonal Flavors and On-Trend Spirits Warm Up Winter Menus
As the weather turns from the heat of summer to a chilly fall and the cold snap of winter, cocktail menus follow their own evolution from light, bright citrus and fresh “green” flavors to the darker, earthier and warmer flavors found on fall and winter menus. For many, autumn and winter flavors may bring to mind rich, sweet flavor profiles. To be sure, there’s no shortage of these indulgent, dessert-like drinks on today’s seasonal menus, like the Pumpkin Pie Martini found at Granite City Food & Brewery this season, or the plethora of peppermint, white chocolate and dark chocolate creations. But seasonal cocktail flavors are also maturing as mixologists cast farther and wider for more sophisticated flavor profiles that range from smoky to earthy, spicy to bitter. Dark, bitter notes continue to add a decidedly adult flavor profile to drinks. This can be found in on-trend spirits like Aperitivo Cappelletti; its taste rounds off those biting flavors with oranges and herbs. It’s featured as the star ingredient in beverages such as the Cappelletti Spritz from Marta’s in New York, where it is finished with Prosecco and grapefruit. Or it can be used in a supporting role, as in the Bella Rosa cocktail from New York’s Franny’s, where Cappelletti is paired with vodka, maraschino, lime and bitters. For dark, bitter flavors that add a more interesting note to drinks, some bartenders are turning to burnt sugars and caramels as a more indulgent and mature take on a sweet ingredient. The Gin Joint in Charleston, S.C., doubles down with the Ichabod Crane, a cocktail packed with seasonal ingredients including buttered bourbon, spiced pumpkin seed, orgeat, burnt sugar and vanilla cordial. Its Prize Fighter cocktail pairs burnt sugar with Carpano Antica, curacao, Campari, rye, balsamic and fig.
By Maeve Webster and Mike Kostyo
92
in the Mix Magazine