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Cocktail History
The Fall From The Tree is an autumn cocktail that was created by bartender Jim Kearns while at The Happiest Hour in New York City, New York. Per the bar’s practice, the recipe started with mixing the supporting ingredients first, including apple cider, cinnamon syrup, lemon, and aromatic bitters, and it’s meant for the drinker to choose the base spirit. In this case, apple brandy is used, but Cognac or whiskey are recommended as well.
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.
Apple Cider: This is a beverage made with freshly pressed apple juice and baking spices. We used The Glass Orchard Apple Cider because it’s fresh, delicious, and made locally to us.
Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, white sugar, gum Arabic powder, saline solution, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Apple Slice: This is a red fruit with a mealy texture. We used a Honeycrisp apple.
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.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Fall From The Tree has sugary aromas of apple and a fairly straightforward taste made up of more crisp apple, cinnamon spice, and a finish that combines the fruit with a kick of allspice.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: While we can’t argue with the delicious combination of apple cider, cinnamon, and lemon, we did both have to agree with Kearn’s original take on “spirit of choice” because we’d probably both lean more toward bourbon, brandy, or rye. That said, the Fall From The Tree was incredibly well-balanced and quite tasty, even if just a bit too apple-flavored with the original spirit.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“Please don’t let my three-star rating deter you: this drink is delicious. I think it just might be a bit too delicious though to get any higher than that in my book. The flavor of this one is very apple and spice heavy, which makes it taste a lot like a spiked version of cider, but it does lack any notable complexity. I definitely recommend making this one, but I’d consider swapping the apple brandy for bourbon, brandy, or even Calvados, the drier apple brandy, for a slightly spicier and less apple-heavy sip.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐
“This was a pretty straightforward apple-flavored drink, and I don’t have much else to say other than that. I do agree with Alex’s take on it being a little too one note with the apple brandy. If I were to make it again, I’d reach for bourbon or brandy instead so it would have some more complexity. It is good as is though and would appeal to the masses this time of year!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Liquor.com, an online beverage publication.
Add apple brandy, apple cider, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with apple slice.
Ingredients
Directions
Add apple brandy, apple cider, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with apple slice.
Make It a Mocktail: Use apple cider and Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the apple brandy and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Apple Cocktails
If you like this apple-flavored 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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