Early Autumn Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 04/29/21
Early Autumn Cocktail

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

When autumn rolls around, you may be looking for a fantastic gin cocktail that shows off the best flavors of the season. The early autumn recipe is an excellent choice. You're sure to love the play of apples, pears, cinnamon, and ginger off a really nice gin.

This recipe was created by New York City mixologist Adam Schuman for Bombay Sapphire Gin. It's a great example of the modern mixology at its finest, but in no way is it difficult to make.

The intriguing drink begins with an infusion of apples and pears that adds interesting flavors to the gin. Those are echoed in the apple cider and pear brandy before adding the absinthe and ginger beer for contrasting but complementary flavors. To top it off, chocolate bitters are added and a cinnamon stick garnish slowly lends its flavor to the mix as you enjoy the drink.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the gin, absinthe, pear brandy, apple cider, lemon juice, and bitters.

  3. Fill with ice, and shake well.

  4. Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Fill with ginger beer.

  5. Garnish with a lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • The apple and pear-infused gin is easy to make at home. You simply need a few apples and pears, and about 1 week for the flavor to fully develop.
  • Schuman offers a few suggestions for each of the ingredients, which you might like to try so you can get the genuine taste of his creation. Beyond Bombay for the gin, he recommends Massenez Williams Poire Brandy, Lucid Absinthe, Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters, and apple cider that's local to you.
  • As with any cocktail, be sure to use fresh ice in the glass rather than pouring it from the shaker. The shaking process breaks down the ice considerably and if you use that in your drink it will quickly result in a watered-down cocktail.

Recipe Variations

  • Don't have time for the infusion? Pour the gin as is. The drink will be slightly less fruity but no less interesting. You can even muddle a few apple and pear slices with the lemon juice before adding the other ingredients and shaking the drink. That alone can boost the flavor rather nicely.
  • If you really like homemade spirits, enhance a pear brandy with a DIY spiced pear liqueur. The recipe enhances the pear flavor and adds warm spices like allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise to create a liqueur that would be wonderful in the early autumn cocktail.
  • Feel free to skip the absinthe if you like. Though it is a nice touch, there's already a lot going on in this cocktail. You'll still be able to enjoy a bounty of autumn flavors without it.

How Strong Is the Early Autumn?

The early autumn may have three liquors in it, but once it's mixed up it's a relatively light drink. With the recommended brands, this cocktail has an alcohol content around 18 percent ABV (36 proof). This is a nice, casual range that's perfect for sipping any time of day.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232 Calories
0g Fat
17g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 10mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 22mg 110%
Calcium 27mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 65mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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