At my last cocktail party in August, I was singing the praises of summer produce from the garden. Yet the end of October finds me in the mood for a decidedly different mix of flavors, more suited to the shorter days and cooler temperatures of the season. Autumn always brings to mind the smell of burning leaves (an olfactory imprint from my early childhood), so I created a smoke-themed cocktail menu. Four drinks, of different strengths, designed to appeal to different palates. Each one incorporated a different ingredient – scotch, mezcal, amaro, grilled fruit, bitters – that imparted a smoky deliciousness. Perhaps that’s why my recollection of the evening is a bit hazy… (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

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Harvest Moon (see The Drink to Be Named Later in my previous post)

Autumn Bonfire (from the New York Times)

• 1 oz. apple cider, non-alcoholic

• 1 oz. applejack (I used Laird’s)

• 1 oz. blended scotch (I used Pinch)

• 1 tsp. maple syrup

• 2 dashes aromatic bitters, like Angostura (I used homemade)

• cocktail shaker, Hawthorne strainer, bar spoon, rocks glass, ice

Steps

• combine all ingredients in shaker

• half-fill with ice and stir until well chilled

• strain into glass over ice

Oaxacan Old Fashioned (adapted from Mayahuel in NYC - sadly, now defunct)

• 1½ oz. reposado tequila (I used Herradura)

• ½ oz. mezcal (I used Del Maguey Vida)

• 1 tsp. agave nectar

• 1 dash orange bitters (I used homemade)

• 1 dash molé bitters (I used homemade)

• flamed orange peel, to garnish

• cocktail shaker, Hawthorne strainer, bar spoon, rocks glass, ice, match

Steps

• combine all ingredients except garnish in shaker

• half-fill with ice and stir until well chilled

• strain into glass over ice

• flame the orange peel over the glass and drop into drink

Friendly Ghost No. 2

• 2 oz. cachaça (the Brazilian version of rum; I used Soledade)

• 3 chunks grilled pineapple

• ½ oz. ginger syrup (see below)

• ½ oz. Aperol

• 1 dash grapefruit bitters (I used homemade)

• 1 dash cedar smoke bitters (optional; I used homemade)

• seltzer

• candied ginger, to garnish

• cocktail shaker, Hawthorne strainer, Collins glass, bar spoon, cocktail pick, ice

Steps

• muddle pineapple and ginger syrup in shaker

• add cachaça, Aperol, and bitters

• half-fill with ice and shake until well chilled

• strain into ice-filled Collins glass

• top with seltzer and stir briefly to mix

• skewer candied ginger on pick and garnish

Ginger syrup

• ¼ cup ginger, peeled and sliced thin

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1 cup water

Steps

• combine all ingredients in small saucepan

• bring to simmer and stir until sugar dissolves

• simmer 20 minutes, then remove from heat

• cool to room temperature, then strain

• store in refrigerator (good for two weeks)