Fallen Leaves Recipe

Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail to kick things off. Need more than one? Here you go. Cheers!

I first noticed it two weeks ago, when I'd look out my front window in the morning: The first few branches on the maple tree near the street were tinged with bits of yellow and orange. Now, the sidewalk is lightly coated with broad yellow leaves, and in a couple more weeks, I'll have to shuffle my way through the crunchy mounds beneath the trees just to get to the corner.

I love October.

This is a perfect autumn cocktail. With the color of its namesake foliage, the Fallen Leaves has a rich, delicate flavor derived from that most seasonal of spirits, aged apple brandy. It's fine to use Calvados in one of these, but I like to reach for the 8-year-old Eau de Vie de Pomme, from Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery. At a time when the autumn chill is becoming a little more apparent each night, a Fallen Leaves can be a great evening companion.