Apple of Ones Eyes

By now fall is in full swing and I’m sure everyone’s newsfeeds are filled with photos of pumpkin carving and apple picking, pumpkin lattes and apple cider. While these autumn activities are enjoyable, it’s time to spice up your cool weather concoctions with a spiked apple cocktail.

Apple of Ones Eyes

• 2 parts Martell Cognac
• .5 part Lime Juice
• 3 parts Apple Juice
• 1 part Ginger Beer/Ale

Shake and strain first three ingredients over ice. Top with ginger beer/ale.

Happy apple sipping!

-KJ

Move over candy corn!

Halloween parties have finally concluded, which means no more costumes, no more pumpkin carving, and hopefully, for my sake, no more candy! It’s not that I don’t enjoy Halloween as much as the next person; I just LOVE Thanksgiving much more. No pressure to find a costume or buy gifts, just one holiday dedicated to being with friends and family for eating (and drinking).

Here are some delicious cocktails for the fall season and Thanksgiving, because it’s never too soon to start planning your Thanksgiving menu!

Hiram Walker’s delicious take on the classic fall treat, Caramel Apples

Caramel Apple Martini

• 1 part Hiram Walker® Caramel Apple Liqueur
• 1 part ABSOLUT® Vodka

Shake with ice and serve in a chilled martini glass.

Maple Bacon Choco-Tini

• 1 part Mama Walker Maple Bacon
• 1 part Kahlua
• 1 part Hiram Walker crème de cacao
• 1 part Irish Cream Liqueur

Add all ingredients to shaker and shake with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass

-KJ

Friday Feature Cocktail: Cinnful Apple

With everybody posting Facebook statuses and Tweets about going apple picking this weekend, I’ve decided that rather than joining in on the apple picking fun (a hobby I have never found too appealing) I’m going to stick with a hobby I do enjoy- drinking cocktails- and will sip a nice spiked Apple Cider instead. The Original Cinn schnapps is the perfect addition to the appley goodness of the cider, and creates a nice apple pie taste in liquid form!

Cinnful Apple

• 2 parts Hiram Walker® Original Cinn Cinnamon Schnapps
• 5 parts Apple cider

Serve over crushed ice or try it warm. Garnish with apple slice.

I hope you all have a wonderful fall weekend!

-KJ

Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day!

As I was catching up on exciting daily happenings, as provided by Twitter this morning, I realized that St. Patrick’s day is only 6 months away from today! As someone who is just about half Irish, I find it fully acceptable to celebrate the halfway mark to such a great holiday! Tonight after work I fully intend to open up some Jameson and mix myself up a (or maybe two) delicious whiskey cocktail(s).

First up, will be a perfect cocktail to accompany the fall weather and autumn mindset:

Apple Crumble Martini

• 1.5 parts Jameson Irish Whiskey
• .75 part Hiram Walker Butterscotch Schnapps
• 1.5 parts Pressed Apple Juice
• .5 part Lime Juice
• 1 part Sugar Syrup

 Shake and strain.

Next up will be a fun drink from Mama Walker’s breakfast flavored liqueurs: Mama said WHAT?!

• 2 parts Mama Walker’s Maple Bacon Liqueur
• 1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey

Shake all ingredients in shaker with ice, strain into chilled shot glass and serve

The perfect for fall Apple Crumble Martini with Jameson and Hiram Walker Butterscotch

Enjoy!

-KJ

Friday Feature Cocktail: The HW Trifecta

As I mentioned a couple weeks back, I was put in charge of planning the cocktail menu for my annual pre-Thanksgiving dinner that I will be having with my old pals I went to college with (way back in the day). In my quest to find the perfect drinks for a Thanksgiving Day celebration, I have turned my colleagues into my guinea pigs as I experiment with the various liqueurs, schnapps and spirits we have hanging around at the office bar (don’t worry I don’t have to twist their arms too much to do this for me)!

This week I decided to see what would taste better with Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice Liqueur, Hiram Walker’s Peppermint Schnapps or Original Cinn Cinnamon Schnapps. After experimenting and polling the coworkers, a combination of all three was declared the winner, and The HW Trifecta Shot is this week’s Friday Feature Cocktail Shot.

The best of Hiram Walker in one delicious shot!

The HW Trifecta

• 1 Part Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
• 1 Part Hiram Walker Original Cinn Cinnamon Schnapps
• ½ Part Hiram Walker Peppermint Schnapps

Shake with ice and pour into shot glass.

This shot, like the Fluffy Pumpkin Pie Shooter, is a very sweet one, so this would also work great as an after dinner liquid dessert if you’re too full from the turkey and stuffing to even touch the real desserts (I know, who am I kidding, there’s always room for the dessert).  Since Thanksgiving is a time for indulgence, you might as well indulge with your drinks!

Enjoy!

KJ

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

While I may be too old to partake in trick or treating, I still love to get in the spirit of Halloween with festive cocktails. Here are some cocktails that are perfect for your Halloween celebrations!

The Black Cat

Hiram Walker’s delicious take on the classic fall treat, Caramel Apples

• 1/3 part Kahlua®
• 1/3 part Hiram Walker® Anisette
• 1/3 part Avion Tequila

Layer slowly into a shot glass starting with the Kahlua.

Caramel Apple Martini

• 1 part Hiram Walker® Caramel Apple Liqueur

• 1 part ABSOLUT® Vodka

Shake with ice and serve in a chilled martini glass.

Yummy Pumpkin Pie Martini

• 1 part Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice
• ½ part Kahlùa Coffee Liqueur
• ½ part Hiram Walker® Butterscotch Schnapps
• ½ part Half & Half

Combine ingredients in shaker w/ ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into martini glass. Garnish and serve.

Happy Halloween and enjoy!

-KJ

Friday’s Feature Cocktail – Highland Harvest

My my my…well, isn’t this convenient? Today is National Caramel Apple Day and I have JUST the product to fulfill the day’s request!

I know I’ve waxed poetic already about the newest product release by Hiram Walker but I don’t think I’ve really explained truly with how much ease this product delivers both on the nose and palate the beloved fall flavors of rich caramel and crisp red apples.

For an easy-to-build cocktail that delivers other hearty, earthy components of the cooler season ahead, try out the Highland Harvest cocktail, today’s Friday Feature Cocktail.

Highland Harvest: Created by Tobin Ellis, BarMagic

• 2 parts The Glenlivet Scotch Whisky
• 1/2 part Hiram Walker Caramel Apple Liqueur
• 2 dashes Orange Bitters
  

  Have a fall cocktail as delicious as the Highland Harvest? Enter your recipe into The Quest fall cocktail contest by Hiram Walker.

Build in a rocks glass with a large ice cube.

Have you had a chance yet to try Caramel Apple Liqueur for yourself? Did you

create a recipe you enjoy? There is still time to enter your recipe into Hiram Walker’s fall cocktail contest The Quest for your chance to win an Apple iPad! Entries are being accepted on the web through October 31st.

Cheers and have a great weekend!
SJ

How ‘Bout Them Apples?

October is National Apple Month and marks a fabulous time to test out that new bottle of Hiram Walker’s Caramel Apple Liqueur you’ve seen featured online and in your local retail stores.

Though this week has proven to be somewhat regarded as an Indian Summer here in Connecticut (please don’t let me have just jinxed it!!), I am finding a lot of uses for Hiram’s Caramel Apple Liqueur in what can be described as “fall-forward” cocktails. Photos and recipes will soon follow!

But don’t just take my word for it – the spirits reviewers as Tastings.com took a sip of Caramel Apple Liqueur and awarded it both a silver medal and a “Best Buy” distinction. Also, take a peek at what some other influential bloggers in the cocktail community are saying about this new liqueur:

• Our friends at A History of Drinking simply state: “Definitely tastes like the name.”
• Mutineer Magazine stirred up a signature Caramel Apple Liqueur cocktail that was “MUTINEER APPROVED!”
• Over at Drinking in America, the team found Caramel Apple Liqueur to be a “perfect addition to autumn activities” – of note on their list of activities is bobbing for apples!!
• Sporting a newly-redesigned website, Drinkhacker rates the “light and minimalist liqueur” from Hiram Walker
• The rating system at Bob’s Brew and Liquor Reviews is pretty straightforward: Drink This “if you want a tasty, well-made, and not cloyingly sweet Caramel Apple Liqueur…”
• Cocktails, 365 writes approvingly of the Caramel Apple Liqueur and offers several original cocktails, including the Turning Leaf Cider.

I’d love to hear what response you have had to trying the new Caramel Apple Liqueur. Leave me a comment or, if you feel your  cocktail recipe has the right stuff, enter your drink into Hiram Walker’s fall cocktail contest “The Quest” to be entered to win an Apple iPad.

Cheers!
SJ

Friday’s Feature Cocktails – Hot Toddies

Hot Toddies don't get much more appetizing than this, folks...

Mother Nature has been teasing me for a few weeks now, but I guess we can all openly say what’s now finally here – fall has officially arrived.

Sigh…so long summer!

If there is one thing, however, that this new season brings with it (especially if you’re in New England!) is an abundance of fresh apple cider, eagerly waiting to be heated up and spiked with liquor to keep me warm and toasty.

I’m not one to deter far from adding brown spirits and a bit of mulling spices to my Apple Cider, but I have found that some of Hiram Walker’s liqueurs, too, make for wonderful additions to a spiked Toddy. So leave the sugar and honey aside and try one of these TWO (yes, that’s right, two cocktails today!) delightful and savory-sweet combinations in your next hot toddy.

Hot Cinn Apple Toddy:

• 1 ½ parts bourbon
• 1 ½ parts Hiram Walker Original Cinn Schnapps
• ½ oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• Fill with hot apple cider
• Green apple slice dipped in hot caramel or cinnamon stick for garnish

Pour the bourbon, schnapps, and lemon juice into an Irish coffee glass or mug. Stir well. Fill with hot apple cider. Garnish with the green apple or a cinnamon stick.

Hot Apple Toddy:

• 1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 1 part Hiram Walker Caramel Apple Liqueur
• Fill with hot apple cider

Build in a warm Irish coffee glass or mug. Stir well.

Cheers!
SJ

“The Quest” Is On!

Hiram Walker's Fantastic Fall Four (say that five time's fast?!) Features Butterscotch Schnapps, Pumpkin Spice Liqueur, Original Cinn Cinnamon Schnapps, and the brand new Caramel Apple Liqueur

Want to win an Apple iPad? Here’s a pretty easy – and creative! – way to do so.

Hiram Walker, the portfolio of schnapps, liqueurs, brandies and triple sec, has developed “The Quest”, an online cocktail contest set in place to search for original cocktails created by – and who better than – the brand’s consumers. (You can read more about The Quest in the Press Release that went out last week)

This particular segment of The Quest seeks recipes that have an element of the approaching fall season. Consumers submitting recipes can use any of the following iconic fall flavors when making a new drink recipe: Hiram Walker Butterscotch, Original Cinn, Pumpkin Spice, or the brand new Caramel Apple Liqueur.

So grab a bottle of your favorite seasonally-inspired liqueur, your cocktail shaker and a bit of imagination. The Quest is now open to submissions on the Hiram Walker website (http://www.hiramwalker.com/recipes/the-quest-is-on) and the Hiram Walker Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HiramWalkerUSA) through October 31.

Cheers!
SJ