Apple Crisp Cocktail

This autumnal highball brings together Laird’s bonded apple brandy with bourbon that’s been infused with spicy green cardamom pods. Use whichever drinkable bourbon you have on hand, and don’t infuse it for longer than directed lest your bourbon start to taste like cardamom-tinged cough syrup. It’s an easy-to-sip drink that’s lightly spicy but still refreshing.

To make honey syrup, stir together 1 ounce boiling water with 1 ounce honey until dissolved. Let cool before using.

Makes 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

For the Cardamom-Infused Bourbon:

1/4 cup green cardamom pods
1 cup bourbon, such as Buffalo Trace

For the Cocktail:

1 ounce Laird’s 100 proof apple brandy (not Applejack)
1/2 ounce Cardamom-Infused bourbon
3/4 ounce fresh juice from 1 lemon
3/4 ounce honey syrup (see note above)
Club soda

Garnish: lemon twist

DIRECTIONS

To make the Cardamom-Infused Bourbon: Place ¼ cup cardamom pods in a resealable jar. Crush with a wooden spoon to crack about half the pods (this can also be done in a mortar and pestle.) Top with 1 cup bourbon, shake, infuse for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, discard solids, and re-bottle bourbon.
To make the cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add apple brandy, cardamom-infused bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup. Shake until well chilled, about 15 seconds.
Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with soda and garnish with lemon twist.