FALL 2010
Autumnal Accents
by Jack RobertielloGear the drink menu to cool-weather flavors with essences of apple, pear, pumpkin and cranberry
The farm-to-table movement and accompanying demand for fresh, seasonal ingredients on restaurant menus has moved past the kitchen and into the bar. Seasonal menus are de rigeur for any operation aspiring to capture consumers’ attention, and fall in the bar means mainly apples.
(Fall tree fruits fit many cocktail profiles, from spritzers to martinis and dark-spirited mixed drinks. - California Pear Advisory board)
“Apple as a flavor is so successful because it ties in well with so many spirits: spiced rums, cognacs, bourbons and really any other kind of brown spirit,” says Charlotte Voisey, portfolio ambassador for London-based spirit supplier William Grant and Sons. Voisey has developed cocktail menus for cutting-edge bars in New York City, including the recently opened lounge at the W New York Downtown Hotel and Kenmare.
“The flavors of apples and pears blend very well with dark spirits overall, and that crisp snap they provide is terrific in drinks,” notes Voisey.