Fruity and Refreshing: Appley Ever After

The state of Illinois did NOT yet officially pass a bill to legalize same sex marriage BUT the Supreme Court of the United States did strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. I think this is a cause for celebration. It’s a great big step for all people, no matter their sex, personal persuasions, ethnicity and beliefs to be truly treated equally.

To help celebrate this AND Pride weekend, I’ve come up with a special cocktail. It’s an apple-based cocktail, since the official state fruit for Illinois is the Gold Rush apple. The cocktail uses Halsted Vodka, which has a very happy connection to Chicago’s LGBT community. Halsted Vodka is made by Siren Spirits and was named in honor of Halsted Street in Chicago (a well known LGBT community in Chicago). Siren Spirits also claims to give something back to the LGBT community from the sales of every bottle of Halsted vodka.

This cocktail is full of delicious apple flavor with apple cider and a German apple schnapps. I don’t like to use the cheap ultra green apple pucker schnapps; it has a fake chemical taste to me. This cocktail has a sort of sweet and tart taste and is very refreshing. So let’s whip up some APPLEY EVER AFTER cocktails and raise our glasses to the progress towards equal rights!

APPLEY EVER AFTER
End of DOMA Apple Cocktail

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients

1 oz. Halsted Vodka

2 oz. Apple Liquor or apple schnapps (I used a German apple schnapps called Schonauer Apfel)

1 oz. apple cider

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

1 oz. Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew

Directions

Fill a rocks glass with ice.

Add in all the ingredients.

Mix well with a spoon.

Garnish with crisp cold apples slices.

Raise your glass to the happy newly wedded couple.

Enjoy!