I live in Seattle so a coffee cocktail for this months MixMo came to mind first but it’s too obvious and I’m not a big fan to begin with. What else is really northwesty…. I know, apples, of which 60% sold in the United States are grown in Washington! I wanted to do something different though, mostly because I have had very little trust for “apple” cocktails and want to rid the world of apple pucker.
The problem with apples is that they are mostly water, about 80% depending on the variety and the rest is air (that’s why they float.) Because of the high water content I find it tough to transfer the mild/slight flavor of the apple over to a cocktail. Then I remembered the baked apples my mom would make every once in a while. They made the house smell amazing and tasted even better, especially with vanilla ice cream. I’ll save a spiced baked apple cocktail for the fall but here’s a summer version using all local flavors.
Baked Northwest Apple Purée
4 good baking apples
12 red raspberries (Washington is also a major supplier of raspberries)
Cane Sugar
1 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cut apple tops off and scoop out the core, (a melon baller works great) fill each apple with about 3 raspberries and a heaping tablespoon of sugar on top. Place in a baking pan with high sides adding the boiling water.
Bake for 30 minutes covered loosely with aluminum foil and 5 minutes uncovered, the apples are ready when the skin is soft
Take out of the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes
Put liquid and apples into a blender and purée for a couple minutes
Strain mixture back into blender or container adding about 1/2 cup water and refrigerate
You should have about 21/2 cups
The Washington Orchard Cocktail
11/2 oz dry fish gin (distilled in Eastern Washington)
3 oz baked northwest apple purée (apples and raspberries from Washington)
1 oz simple syrup
2 dashes lemon bitters (this would be great with homemade apple bitters?)
Combine all into boston shaker and shake long and hard, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an Aplet made right here in Washington State.
The raspberries add a slight tart flavor to the apples and the sugar blends both together to make a great tasting sauce. The drink is on the sweet end for sure but I bet a little lemon juice would balance the drink, I like it sweeter though. I fine strained this into the glass but it took a minute for it all to filter. It’s pretty much apple sauce so if you where to do this in volume I would fine strain in advance to a 750ml bottle…Prost!
Article and Drink by: Mark Sexauer
Filed under: MixMo
Well done, Mark. I’ve got you in the roundup!
This drink sounds devilishly delicious. Steve an I will have to give it a try. If we cannot get a hold of the dry fish gin, do you recommend another?
If you are not in Washington State I think due to our back assward laws you are not able to buy a bottle! It’s cool, I would have used a not so dry gin anyway (Tanquery?), or an apple brandy even, I just used dry fish gin to stay true to the Mixmo theme.