Pink of Perfection

My best friend and I hadn’t seen each other since Thanksgiving, way too long in our book. She finished grading papers, I met a deadline, and we reunited on a bitterly cold evening at the dark wood bar of a cozy tavern in the West Village. The banquettes were covered in plaid, and we both ordered a drink called the Forager’s Press. Made with rye, apple, honey syrup, and lemon, we felt instantly warmed and appropriately holiday. More drinks followed, we cleaned our plates. We took notes on the Ultimate Mixtape of 2011 and talked about how we’d spend imaginary millions if it could only be spent on jewelry. We both went home with our wallets a good deal emptier but feeling very, very rich. I can’t imagine a better way to ring in the holidays.

Still glowy from such fun, I had to replicate that drink. This is my best effort, a little twist on a recipe that was in a very fun cocktail feature in the New York Times. My husband was my taste tester. First he puckered his face up. “It’s very sour.” I added more honey. “I’m just not a mixed drink guy. It’s like Christina Hendricks said: men should drink Scotch.”

Whatever. I made my drink, purred at its deliciousness with each sip, and sat on the couch finishing some work. But you know what I looked up to see about thirty minutes later? An empty glass next to my Scotch-drinking beloved.

Apple Smash
inspired by the Spotted Pig’s Forager’s Press, adapted from NY Times
Serves 1

2 large apple slices
4 tablespoons bourbon or rye
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 dash bitters

Mash apple slices in the base of a cocktail shaker with a wooden spoon or muddler. Add remaining ingredients. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a peeled apple slice.

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