Happy Friday everyone! We’re all pretending to work and just watching the tournament right? Right? I’ll be doing at least one of those things. I never got into the NCAA tournament. Maybe because I went to a DII school and never went to a game? Either way I just root for the upsets and destruction of people’s brackets. I do have somewhat of a vested interest this year. I did fill one bracket out in a pool that some hockey friends started and as expected, I’m comfortably in last place. As well as a $2 bet on Longwood to beat Houston because of the obvious dick joke.

Anyway, this being Friday and all, you need a drink to possibly make. I went looking for spring-ish cocktails and came along the Apple Blossom. Originally from Trader Vic, it’s a riff on a Manhattan with applejack or calvados as the base. I went with applejack since I still have a bottle of Laird’s.

Apple Blossom

1 2/3 oz. Applejack
1 2/3 oz. Sweet vermouth
2 dashes Orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe.

Semi strong sweet vermouth smell up front. It covers most of what the applejack brings to the table from an aromatic standpoint. I said most because I going back in and consciously looking for any apple notes, I do start to pick them up, ever so slightly.

Whatever apple notes the aroma lacks, it more than makes up for in the flavor. In fact, it’s almost the exact inverse. The sip starts out heavy on the apple flavors, with a touch of vermouth sneaking in at the end. The orange bitters provide a nice touch to the flavor profile as well. The orange flavor from the bitters is very subtle but noticeable in keeping the flavors in balance. The bitters, despite only being 2 dashes in here, help keep this from being overly sweet, as the equal parts applejack and vermouth could pull it in that direction. The dryness definitely helps the appeal here. However it does finish with a bit of a dry bitters aftertaste that stays on your palate for a bit. It’s also quite boozy, but doesn’t taste like it would knock you off your socks if you had it. Though I might suggest sticking with only one, or at most two. It IS essentially straight booze after all.

This is good. It’s very close to a Manhattan which may explain why I like it. I do question the springtime qualifications though. I think it would go much better in fall, when apples are more in season. However, I’m not turning one down if it’s offered to me in April instead of October.