Story by Dave Eckert
The change of seasons always brings along a change in eating and drinking habits. Now that cooler temperatures have finally arrived, I thought it might be fun to round up some folks and give you their thoughts on their favorite fall cocktail.
I reached out to both foodie friends and professional mixologists and got some pretty darned delicious cocktail ideas in return.
Let’s start with Susan Garcia, who loves a good martini. “I’ve tried many themes and variations of martinis. I love them, especially a dirty martini. My favorite version, which I recently created, is very versatile and lends itself well to either gin or vodka,” Garcia shared. “I wanted to make a martini that captured the essence of the abundance of the vegetable garden, and nothing says summer like homegrown tomatoes. So why not a tomato martini? I used a combination of Super Sweet 100 and Sungold cherry tomatoes.”
Photo courtesy of Susan Garcia
Susan Garcia’s Martini Recipe:
- To a cocktail shaker, add about 5 Sungold or Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes (or a combination of both), add a pinch of kosher salt, then muddle to a pulp.
- Add 2oz of gin and 1oz of dry vermouth.
- Add ice and shake well for 30 seconds.
- Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a whole cherry tomato on a cocktail pick and finish with a few drops of a good olive oil.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Strider
Fellow Foodie and friend Wayne Strider: The Chicaba Beast Recipe:
- Shot of tequila.
- Shot of Grand Marnier.
- Splash of raspberry habanero simple syrup. Shake with ice, strain, pour.
- Place a thinly sliced jalapeño on the surface.
“I made this drink because I love Grand Marnier and I like spicy things. I enjoy experimenting with infused simple syrups. The raspberry habanero simple syrup is perfect with the orange flavor of the Grand Marnier. Other than me, my wife, Eileen, is the only person who has tried it. She said it was ‘strong,’” Strider noted.
From agave expert and co-owner of the amazing Jade Jaguar, Manny Gomez, come these thoughts on a favorite fall drink. “My favorite fall cocktail has to be the El Cantarito,” shared Gomez.
The El Cantarito is his favorite fall cocktail on Jade Jaguar’s new menu because it captures the season without feeling heavy or overly sweet. “The tepache gives it a bright, fermented backbone, while hibiscus and blueberry add tart fruit and depth. Apple brandy brings that unmistakable fall character, and the ancho chile liqueur adds a slow, subtle warmth. It’s refreshing at first, but finishes with the fruit, spice, and richness I want when the weather starts to cool,” Gomez told me.
Photo courtesy of El Cantarito, Jade Jaguar
“I created El Cantarito while developing the new menu at Jade Jaguar and thinking about how to translate fall flavors through our perspective. I didn’t want to make the typical dark, spirit-forward autumn cocktail. I wanted something lively, colorful and rooted in flavors that feel natural to Jade. The idea started with tepache. Its fermented pineapple flavor is funky, tart and distinctly Mexican, which gave me the perfect foundation. From there, I built around ingredients that reminded me of fall — apple brandy, dark berries, hibiscus and ancho chile. The agave wine, sugar and acid bring everything into balance and keep the drink bright and approachable. I created it because I wanted a cocktail that felt seasonal while still representing what we do at Jade Jaguar: taking familiar flavors, adding a Mexican point of view and presenting them in a way that feels unexpected but easy to enjoy.”
Finally, from Eduardo Rivera, bar manager at my local favorite restaurant, Osteria Bianchi, comes The Last Harvest.
About the creation, Rivera says nothing encapsulates fall like a whiskey sour. “We wanted to capture the feeling of fall in a glass. We started with a great Kansas City bourbon, then created our own house-made allspice liqueur from whole pimento berries, bringing notes of clove, cinnamon, and baking spices. We paired that with pear and fresh citrus to create something that’s familiar, yet uniquely ours. It’s elegant and comforting and that’s really what hospitality is all about,” Rivera shared.
Rivera says they’ll serve it with an optional side of candied pecans that will be clipped to the glass in a mini bamboo cone.
