Autumn

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Cocktail History

The Autumn is an autumn cocktail that was created by Naren Young at Empellon in New York City, New York. Designed to capture the nostalgic sensory experiences of fall in drink form, the recipe mixes two base spirits—apple brandy and sherry—with maple syrup, a hint of pear brandy, some apple bitters, and a dash of allspice liqueur.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with apples, pears, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Laird’s Applejack because it’s light yet still flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try apple cider and Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the apple brandy.

Amontillado Sherry: This is a type of medium-dry fortified wine made in Spain with palomino grapes. We used Don Benigno Amontillado Sherry because it has a dry and rich wine flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try non-alcoholic sherry flavoring in place of the sherry.

Spiced Maple Syrup: This is a syrup made with the sap from maple trees and baking spices. We made ours at home using Alex’s recipe.

Pear Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with Bartlett pears and sparkling wine yeast. We used St. George Pear Brandy because it has a crisp pear flavor and notes of black pepper. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy.

Apple Bitters: This is a food product made with apples, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Dashfire Spiced Apple Bitters.

Allspice Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with allspice berries, spices, sugar, and rum. We used St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram. For a mocktail version of this drink, try homemade allspice Demerara syrup in place of the allspice liqueur.

Pear Slice: This is a bell-shaped fruit that has a green-ish yellow skin and juicy, smooth flesh with a sweet flavor.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Tasting Notes

The Autumn has prominent allspice aromas and a soft, light-bodied flavor accented with notes of apple, dark maple, and slight nuttiness that evolve into a maple-tinged pear and spice flavor on the finish.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: When we say “masterfully crafted,” we mean it: we both really enjoyed the Autumn. The pairing of sherry and pear make for a tasty drink that isn’t just the usual suspects in different proportions like many others this time of year.

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Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This drink was unexpectedly incredible! The combination of flavors was deep, complex, and even slightly challenging while still being accessible, and I think a lot of that is thanks to the often misattributed sherry. The slight sweetness and nuttiness of the fortified wine does a lot of the heavy-lifting in this drink, especially for being just a scant half ounce, and while some of the other flavors are a bit imperceptible underneath it, the drink has a balance and complexity worthy of praise.”

—

Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow! Aside from the French Toast Flip, I don’t believe I’ve ever had a sherry cocktail I’ve been immediately taken with like I was this one. I don’t know that I would’ve thought to pair all of the autumn season’s go-to flavors with sherry because I haven’t liked it in much in general, but it’s absolutely fabulous in this drink. I can see myself coming back to this again when I want something fall-inspired but different than your usual run-of-the-mill bourbon and apple recipe.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Liquor.com, an online beverage publication.

AuthorLiquor.com

Make It a Mocktail: Use apple cider and Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the apple brandy, non-alcoholic sherry flavoring in place of the sherry, and homemade allspice Demerara syrup in place of the allspice liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.

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More Apple Brandy Cocktails

If you like this apple brandy-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

Applejack Rabbit: An apple brandy cocktail made with lemon juice, orange juice, spiced maple syrup, and a lemon twist

Calico Tea: A barleywine ale and apple brandy cocktail made with lemon juice, sage black tea syrup, Angostura aromatic bitters, and sage leaves

Weeknight Wassail: An apple brandy and sherry cocktail made with apple cider, brown sugar, whole cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and an apple slice

Apple Brandy Sour: An apple brandy cocktail made with lemon juice, maple syrup, egg white, Angostura aromatic bitters, and a cherry

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