Apricot Cocktails

The pits that most often end up in our cocktail glasses are no longer from olives. And these days, distillers have taken to employing apricots, using the sweet-tart stone fruit of summer to add an extra layer of boozy flavor to their products. Here, our favorite finds:

Nebraska Brewing Company The first time around, you had to be in the Great Plains to taste the Apricot au Poivre saison-style ale from this Nebraska brewery. Second time is indeed the charm, because the company has recently rereleased the ale nationwide. The elixir, kissed with black pepper and apricot purée before spending six months in neutral French oak, is a well-balanced expression of the fruit's pucker.

Bitters Old Men Even in this era of bars overgrown with bespoke bitters, Zachary Feldman's creations are special. Having already succeeded with such flavors as roasted macadamia and tea with Asian pear, he's now turned his attention to apricots, which he'll pair with fennel in a forthcoming tincture.

The Bitter Truth This German bitters distillery has branched into liqueurs, and among its first is a honeyed liquid made from Klosterneuberg apricots and apricot eau de vie. We used it in place of crème de pêche in this julep recipe with delicious results: The residual acid of the fruit shines through, contributing some zip to drinks that border on cloying.