Annual Apple Ritual

Yesterday I made my annual pilgrimage to Swanson's Mountain View Orchard, a trip only made the sweeter by the knowledge that Lukas' had recently bottled his apple brandy. For those few that know, Lukas' distillery, which is mere miles from my house, was one of those featured in the inaugural issue of MicroShiner magazine.

We have come along way from that first issue, and so has Lukas' brandy. Barrel aged for 3 years, it is superb apple brandy that will serve as a wonderful centerpiece to our New Year's Eve cocktail celebration. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @MicroShiner for more on that later.

Along with the brandy, I also picked up some of Swanson's brandy and cider blend, and some of the soft stuff for the boys. The blend is a perfect treat right out of the bottle, coming in at 20% abv and with just the right amount of sweetness.

Brandy Mule

1 oz Swanson's Mountain View Distillery Apple Brandy
1/2 oz lime juice
1 tsp sugar
splash of Glacier Ginger Brew
garnish with a peeling of ginger

Shake all but ginger beer in cocktail shaker and strain over ice. Top with splash of beer and add ginger.