A seasonal take on the Old-Fashioned: The Vavilov Affair

I first enjoyed Applejack and bourbon together in a cocktail at the Walrus and the Carpenter (not currently on the menu). Out of blind faith in Anna Wallace and the desire to try something outside of my usual rotation, I ordered from the cocktail list the drink I would typically pass by without a second thought. Now bourbon is not a deviation by any means, but apple? I usually steer clear of sweet flavors, preferring instead bitter or savory. 

I wasn't disappointed. Balanced and bright, I have been dreaming of recreating the cocktail the moment the weather took a turn towards Fall. I stumbled across this particular recipe in Amy Stewart's  The Drunken Botanist and immediately tucked it away for just this very day!

So here is what I am suggesting: the weather forecast literally calls for 100 percent chance of rain until 9PM, at which time the the percent chance of rain drops down to a mere 90. Cancel your plans, stay in (unless you need to quickly run out for a bottle of apple jack or an apple or two), and tuck in with the following take on an Old Fashioned. Stewart bestows the name The Vavilov Affiar on the cocktail, in honor of the botanist Nikolai Vavilov, who risked everything to preserve the wild ancestry of the apple tree. We'll keep the name going to honor the heroic tale. 

The Vavilov Affiar
From The Drunken Botanist, by Amy Stewart

Bar spoon simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
3/4 ounces bourbon
3/4 ounce applejack
2 slices apple 

Stewart builds this take on an Old-Fashioned the traditional way, placing a sugar cube in the bottom of an Old-Fashioned glass, splashing the bitters and a few drops of water on the cube, and muddling. I prefer just a bar spoon of simply syrup doused in bitters. Either way, at this point add the ice and both liquors, stirring well. Use a citrus squeezer to squeeze the juice of one apple slice on top. Garnish with a second apple slice. Important to note, the apple slice by the end of your cocktail will be the best boozy apply you have every had in your life. Just wait, you're in for a treat!   

Quick note: pictured is a double cocktail. I'll let you do the math, but either way, pace yourself, my friend. Cheers!