APPLEJACK-OFF 2014: The Apple-tini

PINKY MIXOLOGY

APPLEJACK-OFF 2014:

The Apple-tini

 So it's probably inevitable that a series devoted to Apples and the alcoholic beverages made therefrom would be able to avoid the dreaded Apple-tini.  Yes this bane of the bar world has infiltrated the globe so thoroughly that you can even get them in Saudi Arabia if you know where to look (probably the South Pole too).   

With only limited experience, we must admit that bar tenders who actually work for a living probably like these things.  They're ridiculously simple, you can charge a lot for them, and they get people hammered, and drunk people leave bigger tips.  People who call themselves "cocktail artists" hate them because it doesn't give them a chance to show off, but there's always someone in the group that wants one of these and doesn't care about your home-made Acai berry bitters which you've aged inside the hollowed out unicorn horn. 

We now give you a way to satiate the vapid calls for Apple-tinis without compromising your cocktail crafting integrity.







What seems like 10 years ago at the beginning of the Pinky Mixology Applejack-Off, in an effort to show you what applejack is and what it isn't, we decided to make an infusion of apple peels in 40% grain alcohol and let it sit until we had something apple flavored.   This is the result.





The apple peels give a really nice flavor to the vodka, and we assume it would also add the same nice qualities to light rum or Tequila blanco.  It doesn't add sweetness however, just flavor qualities so it will not taste like that appletini mix you see at the store. 





Yes, we pick on hipsters, even the ones who are "from" Brooklyn.




If you are going to be with a group and a few of them like the girly drinks like Skinny Girl (seriously, that stuff is so nasty), making a pitcher of these is a great way to not only give them what they want but at the same time the serious cocktail drinkers won't have a problem with it because it is much less artificial than anything else.  You can use organic vodka, organic apple peel, natural stevia or Sugar in the Raw or whatever, and we're sure there's some sort of organic vegan green food-coloring you can pick up at Whole Foods for only $45. 

We'll be wrapping up the 2014 Applejack-off soon, where we will be announcing the rules for our t-shirt giveaway.  Please keep in mind that the t-shirt we're giving away doesn't have anything to do with apples, but it's still a nice one.