:: mixology monday: apples wrap up::

I'm so pleased with the quality of submissions to this month's Mixology Monday, MxMo XCII: Apples! Apples were utilized from the most obvious to me spirits to the more obscure like culinary ones like apple jelly. Hopefully, I can bang out the first wave of these entries before I have to leave for my evening shift tonight at Russell House Tavern. Without further ado, here are the entries. How do you like them apples?
• Brenda of DeliciousCocktailTime was no last minuter, unless she mistook which week was which. Her Crabapple Jelly Cocktail utilizes jelly and Berentzen Apfelkorn apple liqueur!
• The Boozenerds were also early submitters and could not control themselves to one recipe. Their two drinks span three elements -- eau de vie, aged brandy, and sparkling apple cider.
• Jessica of OneMartini appeared in the Mixology Monday blog pingbacks with her entry for the Spiced Calvados Sour days before she later left a comment, so placed here instead of later. Maple and spice elements round out her drink with a great seasonal touch!
• That bum Frederic of the CocktailVirginSlut blog... wait that's me! Well, I turned to the Death & Co. book for their riff on a 19th century classic with the Widow's Laurel using Calvados and some allspice dram for complementary spice notes.
• Batting fifth, Dagreb of Nihil Utopia went all Hemingway on us with an apple brandy recipe from Philip Greene's book.
• Sometimes MxMo's can catch your liquor shelf off guard. That's what happened with Andrea of GinHound who went out and fixed that problem with some applejack to make a tribute recipe, The Banker. And yes, apple brandy and Fernet Branca do work magically together!
• Stuart of PutneyFarm headed to the PDT Cocktail Book for the Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy recipe the Persephone that fits in some sloe gin into the mix as well.
• Using both Calvados and cider in the shaker tin, Gary of Doc Elliot's Apothecary crafts the Cider Punch using cranberry and ginger to seal in the seasonal touch. Likewise, walnut notes work to the same effect in the Plymouth Old Fashioned.
• Morgan of FoodieTails takes the ginger approach with the Apple Cider-Basil Buck. I was teased with the tequila-apple pairing but not disappointed when it was revealed that this was a Bourbon number.
• With MxMo alum's Michael Dietsch's book either on everyone's bookshelf or holiday wish list, it wasn't a surprise that there were a few shrub entries! Stacy Markow riffed on the Vieux Carré using a spiced apple shrub she made herself!
• Not to be outdone by the contributors who do two recipes, TartinesToTikis starts with the Normal Conquest from the Savoy Hotel in London and transitions to recipes from New York and San Diego.
• At the end of the dozen was the Muse of Doom of FeuDeVie. Homemade cranberry falernum to complement apples with fruit and spice notes? Brilliant. Here in the Red Plaid Wool Scarf with Calvados.
• Laura of the SassAndGin blog Earl Grey tea-infused her applejack (which would have worked great for the MxMo: Tea that I hosted years ago) for the Belles & Whistles. Great smoke and spice notes here!
• A shrub contribution from Alex of BringMeAShrub should have been no surprise though. The surprise was that he took his apple shrub all Corn'n'Oil style with the Dr. Luther.
• A slight bit late, but cat herd pimpin' ain't easy, so here's JFL of RatedRCocktails with the Pama Nui. Calvados in a Tiki drink? Nice.
• Even more late (almost a week so no photo) is Marius of ArcanePotions with a trio of drink recipes including the Manzana Cool Smash featuring green apple liqueur!
• Further lateness -- like a month late, but hey, bloggers like cats can get lost -- is Southern Ash with the Hot Apple Toddy!

Perhaps there'll be a few late stragglers to be added later (so far 2 added), but here are the early birds (on time for the cocktail world is early) that got the worm. Aged brandy, eau de vie, liqueur, sparkling and still cider, jelly, and shrubs oh my! Thank you all of the Blog-o-sphere for contributing to this Mixology Monday to make it once again such a fun and one of the best and longest running cocktail parties on the internets! And yes, I finished in time to pay some bills and make it to my barshift's pre-meal on time.