How Do You Like Them Apples? - Week 38

Week 38 - The Apple Margarita


It's finally Fall!  Do you know what that means?  Absolutely nothing because I live in Florida!! lol  However, this week, I have had the pleasure of visiting the great state of Wisconsin to see some of my college roommates and enjoy some Fall weather and foliage.  It was everything I wanted it to be and more.  Besides eating my body weight in cheese, I was able to enjoy cooler temperatures and beautiful fall foliage.  I was even able to wear a sweatshirt and not melt.  In honor of the season, my week 38 drink is The Apple Margarita.

I have been saving this drink  for this trip as I thought it paired nicely with the season.  I grew up in Western New York, where apples are very much a staple during this season.  Since moving to Florida, I do not get to experience the fresh fall apples like I did growing up.  It's always a special treat to get to go to an apple farm and pick up fresh apples.  My friends live near one of these farms and we were able to pick up fresh apples for the drink.  It was a fantastic time and a special treat that reminded me of my childhood. 

The Apple Margarita calls for fresh pressed apple juice and apple schnapps in addition to the traditional margarita ingredients.   I admit that I had some trouble finding apple schnapps, so I settled for 99 apples to substitute in as I was pressed for time.  I think the substitution ended up working just fine.
I have wanted to try a more intricate drink garnish for a while and I have seen a few cool apple garnishes that looked like birds, so I decided to give it a try.  Full disclosure, I thought I was in WAY over my head with the garnish I chose, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  It turned out even better that I had hoped it would and I am really proud of the results. See a photo below and judge for yourself. 
The drink itself was pretty different from other drinks I have made.  It felt very season specific.  It smelled fantastic and I was really pleased with the way it turned out.  I deviated from the recipe slightly by adding a cinnamon stick as a garnish and to add a little flavor.  I also dipped the rim of the glass in a sugar and cinnamon mix.  It was truly outstanding and took the drink to the next level.  I thought the taste was on point and I really enjoyed it.  Not only did it look great, it tasted great as well.  My friends also gave this two thumbs up.  If you are looking for a Fall drink - this is it! 

Lesson learned - There is nothing like cool temperatures and fall foliage to bring me back to my roots.  Add some dear old friends to the equation and there's truly nothing better.  It was such a wonderful few days catching up with everyone and reminiscing about the good old days - you know, the days when we were fun and arguably much cooler than we are now.  However, I like to think we've all still got it...Whatever "it" actually is:)  Cheers!
Recipe
2 ounces apple juice (preferably freshly pressed)
1 1/2 ounces tequila
1 ounce apple schnapps
Splash of lemon juice
Apple slice for garnish

Level of difficulty 4
Taste - 8
Overall - 8







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