fall orchard bloody mary
Pretend you hear ghostly noises in the background as you read this recipe.
Not precisely a Halloween cocktail, but certainly one you could use for a lazy October brunch, whether you plan a spooky theme or no.
You might be surprised at how well apple cider pairs with the traditional components of Bloody Mary drinks. The heavy spice of cider plays well with the heat of hot sauce and the mellow sourness of tomatoes. Add an extra shake of ginger, cinnamon, and clove to hone in on the autumnal profile of this pitcher, and boom – brunch.
To celebrate the final long run in both of our Chicago Marathon plans, we whipped up an excessive brunch menu and basically nibbled on the leftovers all day. Two of the recipes will wander onto FMG soon, but for now, let’s talk about Mary behind her back.
No heating, no creation of any component is required of this cocktail. I keep the usual suspects of a Bloody mix in the base: tomato juice, vodka, hot sauce, and lemon juice, but omit the Old Bay in favor of warming fall spices and add a big helping of apple cider.
Simply mix everything up with a cocktail stirrer in a big pitcher. You are welcome to taste and adjust as you go. A splash of this here, a pour of this there, oh shit the entire cinnamon bottle exploded in my drink! Not that I’ve done that before or anything.
I also added a smidge of apple butter, just to be more in your face fall.
Of course, a Bloody is always over the top with embellishments. I was a bit more conservative than some, but J immediately identified the cocktail due to the aggressive rim decorations strewn atop the glass.
I first rubbed the rim of each glass with a lemon, then dipped it in cinnamon sugar. I have a container of cinnamon sugar perpetually adorning my countertop and am slowly figuring out ways to use it up. A salty chili rim would work well, too, if you prefer savory.
Then, I sliced some apples and pears fairly thin – take care they’re not too ripe else they’ll just melt away – and lemon wheels. I poked a few cherry tomatoes onto long skewers, which I had to trim down to fit the glass and not accidentally become a weapon of mass destruction. To finish, I stuck a cinnamon stop on the top of the glass, which obviously isn’t very practical when you’re drinking, so once I was ready to sip I plopped it straight into the cocktail to infuse the bev further.
Some other cool ideas? Perhaps honey roasted sweet potatoes, green olives, orange slices, rosemary sprigs, sage leaves…Whatever makes your heart and stomach happy.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
A pair of fall cocktails to try:
Spiced Apple Cider Rosemary Margarita
Ingredients
- 3 cups tomato juice
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 4 oz vodka
- 1/4 cup apple butter (optional)
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2-3 tsp hot sauce, to taste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- garnishes: pear slices, apple slices, cinnamon sticks, cherry tomatoes, and lemon wheels
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and stir briskly until well combined. Fill four glasses with ice and pour mix evenly between. Garnish with pear slices, apple slices, skewered cherry tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, and lemon wheels.
