fancy apple

2 1/2 oz. Old Overholt
2 oz. apple cider reduction [1]
1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
dash Regan's orange bitters

Shake with ice and pour into a Collins glass filled with more ice.

[1] To make the apple cider reduction, boil until it's reduced to about 1/3 volume. Taste, and add a touch of fresh lemon juice if it's too sweet.

Last night my friend Nicole and I met up at Rialto in the Charles Hotel for cocktails. I'd heard a number of good things about Todd Maul's program somewhere on the intarwebz (can't remember where, though), so when I suggested this place to Nicole, she checked out the cocktail menu online and remarked that she had her eye on several of the cocktails on the list - a good sign! I loved the underlit marble bar - very pretty! As Nicole and I were talking, she remarked to me that the bartender was using the same little OXO measure that I had convinced her to get - another good sign.

The drink was somehow very warming to me, maybe because I associate apple cider with fall. The Cherry Heering gave it a candied flavor that I welcomed after the slippery walk from Central Square, where I had parked. Though this drink veered dangerously close to being too sweet for me, it went very well with the delicious duck sandwich I'd ordered; so win-win. After this first round of cocktails, Nicole and I concluded that we would certainly be back. But I'm getting ahead of myself, the night wasn't over after just this round.