Yet another splendid reason to drink Applejack, the Whist is another one of those drinks that tastes from another time. You can use either Applejack or its wealthier brother Calvados. I actually prefer the cheaper AJ. I’m a seasonal drinker and enjoy this one more in the Autumn.

Here we go –

• 1 oz Applejack or Calvados
• ½ oz light or white Rum
• ½ oz Sweet Vermouth

Stir three ingredients with ice in a mixing glass or glass pitcher, strain into cocktail glass and watch the leaves fall.

Just found this one in the Nov/Dec issue of Imbibe magazine.  Created by NYC bartender Dan Greenbaum, this cocktail tasted and smelled so much like Christmas that I thought I would sneak it in.  There’s a lot of apple and spice going on in this drink, yet it still stands tall as a potent tipper that a serious drinker should be pleased with.  Perfect for a sophisticated holiday cocktail party, you might consider just making a martini pitcher full.

Here we go -

• 1 1/2 oz Calvados (French Apple Brandy)
• 3/4 oz Madeira
• 1/2 oz Benedictine
• 1/4 oz Angostura bitters

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass or tall cocktail pitcher with ice and stir till cold. Pour/strain into pretty cocktail glass and garnish with fresh grated nutmeg and a thin twist of apple peel.