Bourbon Apple-rita
2 apples, diced
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 oz lime juice
2 oz bourbon
.5 oz triple sec
In the middle of winter, we usually spurn the sweet, cold cocktails that got us through summer, in favor of bold, full-bodied dark flavors like bourbon and red wine, just like you might have been spurned by a former lover. We can always add some fresh, fruity elements to our drinks, though, so we decided to bring you a winter cocktail with just a hint of the flavors of summer — a hint similar to one that someone could have dropped before leaving their boyfriend for their tennis instructor.
Drink this if: You’re ready for summer to come back but you want to enjoy winter while it lasts, or if you’re dehydrated from crying — say, after a bad breakup.
1. Add apples and sugar to saucepan, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. While you’re waiting, go on Facebook, and see if any relationship statuses have changed. Huh — there have been some changes. That was fast!
2. Add cloves and cinnamon to a medium saucepan, and cook for 10 minutes or until soft and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Take out your phone again and look at your friends’ pictures. Don’t look at anyone’s in particular, because that would be weird, but do go ahead and see what your friend and their tennis instructor have been up to. Looks like they went skiing together — neat!
3. Take apple mixture off heat, and strain. Go to your contacts list, and hold your finger over the “delete” button for a few minutes. You know that you should probably get rid of their number, but what if they want to call you? What if there’s an emergency, and you need to know who’s calling? You should probably keep that number.
4. Add bourbon, triple sec, lime juice and two tablespoons of the apple syrup to a shaker filled with ice. Shake until frosty, and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Taste the bourbon, to see if it’s good. Take a pull off the bottle. Take a couple — you’ve had a long day, and you deserve it.
5. Garnish with a thin slice of apple. Realize as you go to grab an apple that you drank a lot more than you meant to. Drink more bourbon. Forget about the cocktail, and lay on the couch scrolling through your shared Facebook history. Ignore any calls from concerned friends.
Unused apple syrup can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.
