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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
10BEST | DRINKS
Apple Elixirs State fruit inspires ciders, beers and booze By Kae Lani Palmisano MIKHAIL LIPYANSKIY
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HERE ARE PLENTY OF crops that signal the harvest season in New York
state, but none signifies the spirit of autumn quite like apples. In fact, the humble apple is considered New York’s official fruit. Aside from apple doughnuts, apple pies and applesauces, New Yorkers are finding creative ways to enjoy some of the nearly 30-millionbushel bounty that they produce each year. Some are distilling the crisp, tart fruit into spirits and others are fermenting the apples into wines. Here are 10 apple drinks to indulge in this fall, all made in New York:
EVE’S CIDERY BECKHORN HOLLOW Van Etten With every sip of Eve’s Cidery Beckhorn Hollow, your nose is greeted with effervescent bubbles that bring texture to the crisp, tart beverage. Made from organically grown and wild-foraged apples and pears, this line of ciders is distinct to the region.
TUTHILLTOWN SPIRITS HALF MOON ORCHARD GIN Gardiner In traditional gins, the flavor of juniper berries dominates the spirit. With Tuthilltown Half’s Moon Orchard Gin, the flavor is a complex but balanced blend of citrus peels, cardamom, elderberries, bergamot orange zest, coriander and almonds along with juniper.
HARVEST SPIRITS CORNELIUS APPLEJACK Valatie This small-batch spirit is distilled from 100 percent homegrown apples. Aged for five years, its distinctive flavor is slowly developed from American oak casks that once held bourbon. It’s naturally gluten-free, so it’s a delicious and smooth alternative to whiskey.
SAM KAPLAN FLY CREEK CIDER MILL & ORCHARD
FLY CREEK CIDER MILL & ORCHARD ORIGINAL APPLE WINE Fly Creek Dating back to 1856 when the mill was built, this line of wines mixes apples with a variety of other fruits like tart cranberries and sweet black currants. For a real taste of apple vino, go with the Original Apple Wine.
NEVERSINK SPIRITS APPLE BRANDY Port Chester Made from 100 percent New York apples, Neversink’s apple brandy has its roots in a European tradition, but the local treatment gives this fruit brandy an American flair. The tart sweetness of the apples is enhanced by hints of spicy vanilla, earthy woods and subtle notes of pear. This spirit truly captures the best that New York apples have to offer.
