The Key Tip To Remember When Adding Apples To Your Cocktails

When cocktail-making, you've got to be able to weed out the bad apples. But when it comes to using real apples in your drinks, expert Camille Wilson, author of "Free Spirit Cocktails: 40 Nonalcoholic Drink Recipes" and creator of The Cocktail Snob, has some wise words. She says, "When incorporating actual apples into cocktails, I think picking the right apple is important. For a sweeter option, honeycrisp and gala apples are great. For a more tart, crisp taste, Granny Smith works well."

Apple selection is critical when balancing a cocktail's already intricate flavor profile. And with over 7,500 known varieties, you've got your work cut out to pick one that goes with what you're putting in your glass. The soil type, climate, and even time of harvest can impact the fruit's taste. While a gala might have a mild, sweet quality, a baldwin has a slight spiciness and a Granny Smith is more acidic. A spritz or cider-based beverage suits the tartness of a green apple, whereas a dry martini may benefit from the balancing sweetness of a red variety. The key issue, as Wilson suggests, is whether your fruit is sweet or sharp. You've got to play matchmaker.

Once you've picked your apple, to go with your next fruity bourbon cocktail for example, it's worth learning how to arrange them. Alcohol enthusiasts have been incorporating apples into drinks since the colonial era. The abundance of orchards meant free-flowing fruit and the 18th-century invention of apple brandy is seen as a cornerstone in cocktail history. Since then, creative ways to add apples to beverages have rapidly grown over the centuries.

Carefully arranged wedges are fantastic for a rustic aesthetic, while thinner slices are a more refined and elegant approach, particularly if fanned and pinned with a cocktail stick. Twisted decorations also happen to be one of the best ways to use up apple peelings. One aspect to be mindful of when garnishing with fresh fruit is browning, for which dehydrated apples are a smart solution for extended longevity. Alternatively, the addition of preserving lemon juice keeps the color fresh, but fist consider whether the citrus note will spoil the cocktail you're creating. If you want the flavor rather than a visual adornment, apple butter — essentially super strength applesauce — packs a punch in an autumnal cocktail.

Don't miss out on apple-based soft drinks, either. Whether skipping alcoholic cocktails in favor of a mocktail or creating a refresher that could turn Starbucks green with envy, apples are still the versatile ingredients and decoration to pick.