Winter

An apple-eldertini cocktail

by:
January 12, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 1
Author Notes

After shoveling over 2 feet of snow I have just come in with a fresh cup. You can of course use shaved ice if fresh snow is not readily available. I decided it was high time to open that beautiful bottle of St. Germaine. Elders truly deserve this dessert treat, whether you have to shovel yourself out or not. It is a delightfully elegant winter pick- me-up. —Sagegreen

Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
  • Apple vodka
  • 1/2 cup grated crisp apple
  • 1 cup Stoli vodka
  • The fruit salad
  • juice from 1/2 orange (blood red if available)
  • juice from 1/2 lemon (Meyer's if available)
  • 1/2 crisp apple sliced into thin fans
  • 2 fresh sliced lychee nuts, optional (with stem removed, outer skin peeled off, and inner brown shiny seed removed)
  • segments cut from 1/2 orange (blood if available)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh peeled ginger sliced thinly with a mandolin
  • seeds from 1/4 pomegranate
  • 3/4 cup shaved ice or fresh, clean snow
  • 1/2 ounce apple vodka
  • 1/2 ounce St. Germaine elderflower liqueur
  • thin apple slice for garnish
Directions
  1. Apple vodka
  2. If you have time to make apple vodka, it is nice to have on hand. If not, just can certainly use plain vodka. I have not tried the commercially available apple vodkas, so I do not know how good they might be. In a small mason jar add your grated crisp apple. A Fuji, honeycrisp or green apple will work well.
  3. Pour the vodka over the grated apple. Refrigerate overnight. Strain the apple out the next morning and store the infused vodka chilled for future uses. This will last for many drinks.
  1. The fruit salad
  2. Bath the sliced apple fans in the juice of the orange and lemon for at least 10 minutes.
  3. Gather all the fruits and ginger for assembly.
  4. In a chilled martini glass add your shaved ice or fresh snow.
  5. Arrange the fruits on top. Begin with the apples, then the oranges and optional lychees, ending with the ginger and pomegranate. Let half of the orange and lemon juice drip to the bottom. Reserve the other half for another drink for a pal.
  6. Pour the apple vodka and ginger liqueur on top. If you want to convert this to a drink, reduce the fruit and double the spirits instead. Garnish with an apple slice. Serve immediately with a spoon. Savor slowly.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

10 Reviews

hardlikearmour January 12, 2011
hooooray! you cracked into the st. germaine. isn't it lovely?
Sagegreen January 12, 2011
YES! I was hoping you would find this. Very lovely indeed, thanks.
wssmom January 12, 2011
Yum! My only difficulty with this is refrigerating the vodka overnight ... :)
Sagegreen January 12, 2011
Thanks, wssmom! I realize it would be an awful lot of trouble just for half an ounce, if you didn't have other uses in mind! But it is nice to infuse your own with the kind of apple you really like. No worries though: the plain would be just fine, too! :)
TiggyBee January 12, 2011
Smiles...
Sagegreen January 12, 2011
Thanks, TiggyBee. It is really nice!
nannydeb January 12, 2011
I like the way you think...
Sagegreen January 12, 2011
Thanks, nannydeb. We sure have plenty of snow to use. I may try some sugar on snow later this weekend. We eat that with pickles, of all things. One of our weird traditions.
Lizthechef January 12, 2011
Wow, talk about adapting to the elements ;)
Sagegreen January 12, 2011
And what elements we are having today! I haven't seen this much snow in years! It is still coming down, too. Now it is time to rake off the roof! The fruit cocktail will be waiting, but I have taken a sip to taste.