Persephone

About the Persephone

Persephone is a stirred cocktail named for the pomegranate season, built primarily on Laird’s Applejack with sweet vermouth and lemon juice, and rounded out with a smaller half ounce pour of Timber Creek Florida Gin and a touch of simple syrup, strained into a chilled coupe. In this recipe, the applejack (an American apple brandy) is actually poured in a larger amount than the Timber Creek gin, meaning the gin plays a supporting role in the finished drink’s flavor rather than serving as the dominant base spirit; the apple brandy’s orchard fruit character and the sweet vermouth’s dried fruit notes are what drive most of the drink, with the gin adding a smaller citrus and juniper lift on top. Because the recipe as written leans on a competitor apple brandy for its primary pour, this one is worth a second look from Aaron before it goes out under the Timber Creek name; a version with a larger Timber Creek Florida Gin pour would put the distillery’s own spirit more clearly at the center of the drink.

To build it, stir the applejack, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, gin, and simple syrup together with ice until well chilled, and strain into a chilled coupe. It pours a warm amber pink and smells of baked apple and dried fruit. This is a good fall or early winter pour, and it pairs well with pomegranate salad, goat cheese, roasted duck, walnuts, or dark chocolate.

Serving it in a chilled coupe rather than over ice keeps the drink concentrated, which suits a stirred cocktail built mostly around fortified wine and apple brandy rather than a single dominant base spirit. Because the recipe as it stands leads with apple brandy rather than Timber Creek Florida Gin, treat this description as a starting point pending the client’s decision on how the ingredient list should ultimately read. As with any spirit forward stirred drink, sip it slowly and drink responsibly.

Persephone is a stirred cocktail named for the pomegranate season, built primarily on Laird’s Applejack with sweet vermouth and lemon juice, and rounded out with a smaller half ounce pour of Timber Creek Florida Gin and a touch of simple syrup, strained into a chilled coupe. In this recipe, the applejack (an American apple brandy) is actually poured in a larger amount than the Timber Creek gin, meaning the gin plays a supporting role in the finished drink’s flavor rather than serving as the dominant base spirit; the apple brandy’s orchard fruit character and the sweet vermouth’s dried fruit notes are what drive most of the drink, with the gin adding a smaller citrus and juniper lift on top. Because the recipe as written leans on a competitor apple brandy for its primary pour, this one is worth a second look from Aaron before it goes out under the Timber Creek name; a version with a larger Timber Creek Florida Gin pour would put the distillery’s own spirit more clearly at the center of the drink.

To build it, stir the applejack, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, gin, and simple syrup together with ice until well chilled, and strain into a chilled coupe. It pours a warm amber pink and smells of baked apple and dried fruit. This is a good fall or early winter pour, and it pairs well with pomegranate salad, goat cheese, roasted duck, walnuts, or dark chocolate.

Serving it in a chilled coupe rather than over ice keeps the drink concentrated, which suits a stirred cocktail built mostly around fortified wine and apple brandy rather than a single dominant base spirit. Because the recipe as it stands leads with apple brandy rather than Timber Creek Florida Gin, treat this description as a starting point pending the client’s decision on how the ingredient list should ultimately read. As with any spirit forward stirred drink, sip it slowly and drink responsibly.