Honeycrisp Vodka Sour
*This blog post is sponsored by Prairie Organic Spirits and is only intended for persons over 21 years of age. Please drink responsibly.
Oh, apple season, how I love thee…
It’s still sorta summer, so I still kinda want refreshing, cool cocktails to drink, but autumn is definitely lurking (especially noticeable when I walk outside in the morning to let the chickens free and it’s…CHILLY?! WHAT?!). I’m not quite ready for warm, spiced, pumpkin-y drinks, but I most definitely need a little fall in my glass.
So gimme all those gorgeous, fresh-picked Honeycrisp apples, please. And if you’re going to put them in a cocktail, there’s something pretty wonderful about pairing them with Prairie Organic Vodka; its crisp, bright taste plays perfectly with the tart sweetness of the apples without over-powering it. Farm-picked apples deserve farm-crafted spirits, AMIRITE?
PLUS: Prairie Organic just won the award for Best Craft Vodka Distillery from 10Best (USA Today), so you know they’re doing things right over there.
HONEYCRISP VODKA SOUR
Makes one serving.
2 oz. Prairie Organic Vodka
1 oz. Honeycrisp Apple juice (either homemade, see instructions below, or no sugar added organic store-bought)
.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
.5 oz. Honeyed Apple Simple Syrup (instructions below)
1 egg white
1 Honeycrisp apple slice and a drizzle of honey for garnish
To make fresh Honeycrisp apple juice:
Clean and core 10 honeycrisp apples. Cut them into slices, and put them in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover the apples. Bring water to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes or until apples are soft. Place cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer and strain water/apple mixture through it into a bowl, mashing the apples to get as much juice as possible. Place juice in an airtight container and store in fridge.
Or…yanno…buy some no sugar added organic apple juice from the store.
To make the Honeyed Apple Simple Syrup:
Combine 1/4 cup honey and 1/2 cup water, and one sliced and cored Honeycrisp apple in a small pot. Over high heat, bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Remove pot from heat and let cool, then strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into an airtight container. Store in fridge.
To make the cocktail:
Combine vodka, apple juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker over ice. Shake until chilled. Strain mixture and dump ice, then return mixture, plus egg white to shaker. Shake hard for 20-30 seconds to foam egg white, then pour mixture (do not strain) into coupe glass. Garnish with a slice of Honeycrisp apple, and a drizzle of honey.
I just cannot possibly sing the praises of Prairie Organic Spirits loudly enough. If you’re like me and you try your darnedest to make sure all your produce is chemical-free, then you’ll probably be extra, extra excited about an adult beverage featuring an organically farmed spirit. I’m pretty extra. And I love Prairie’s products ALAWT. There’s something rather magical about a fully organic, fully non-GMO cocktail.
So do yourself a favor and go get you a bottle of this gorgeous, clean vodka and make a lovely late summer libation. And save some Honeycrisp scraps for the poultry; they get pretty excited about apple season, too.
*This blog post is sponsored by Prairie Organic Spirits and is only intended for persons over 21 years of age. Please drink responsibly.