How to Make a Manhattan With Apple Brandy

This Sunday, all our clocks are going to “fall back,” which is to say, we get one extra hour of sleep. This is generally regarded as good news. I, by contrast, do not think this is good news. Because I am a bartender. 

It’s not that bartenders don’t love sleep (we do!), it’s that we hate the time change. So-called “Standard Time” is what will happen Sunday at 2 a.m., wherein the body of daylight that we get to experience—already being ablated away as the sun sets earlier and earlier each evening—gets an entire hour amputated in a single night, lopped off by the changing of the clocks. “But,” you might object, “you get that hour back in the morning!” No, we don’t. Because we’re bartenders. We (alongside our brothers and sisters in healthcare and maintenance and whatever else) work nights, and for most of us, sunrise is something that happens at the end of a particularly energetic day, not at the beginning of a bright new one. All that happens with the “fall back” on the first Sunday in November is that our already shrinking portion of daylight is shrunk even further.

Whether or not the late great bartender Sasha Petraske had this in mind when he invented his Fall Back Cocktail is impossible to say—whether he was trying to reclaim, rehabilitate, or redeem the time change, or maybe he loved the time change and was just trying to attach a snappy name to a delicious autumnal drink. What is clear is that the Fall Back is a worthy reminder of what is redeeming about this time of year, which is to say, the flavors. It is a worthy member of the elite coterie of Manhattan variations like the Brooklyn, Green Point, Fort Point, and Little Italy that find deliciousness and complexity by splicing into the framework of the classic Manhattan a small measure of European herbal liqueur. 

The Fall Back starts with rye whiskey, which is then split (like the cocktail’s closest relative, the Vieux Carré) with an equal pour of brandy, in this case Apple Brandy. Sweet vermouth provides a lush red-fruit component. The bittersweet Italian liqueur Amaro Nonino provides herbaceous orange notes, and it’s given both brightness and a surprising amount of charm from a couple dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters. 

What all of this yields is a Manhattan that is vividly autumnal. It’s round and full, bursting with spiced apple characteristics from the combination of the Peychaud’s and Apple Brandy. Amaro Nonino is relatively mild in terms of herbaceousness and bitterness and while both are present, it mostly brings orange complexity and a textured canvas for the cocktail’s other talents. Does it make the “fall back” time change easier? It does not. But it is as good a reminder as any that this time of year has delights all its own, possibly even good enough to compensate for not seeing the sun until March of next year.

Fall Back

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir on ice for 20 to 30 seconds, and strain either on a big cube in a rocks glass or up in a coupe. Garnish with an orange peel.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

Rye: The rye-vermouth combination here expresses itself much the way it does in a classic Manhattan, so if you have a favorite combination of those, I’d recommend it here. Curiously the only note I have is that for some reason, perception of alcohol heat is more of a problem in this drink than it is in drinks with even higher ABV (like the Greenpoint or the Fort Point) so I really don’t know what to say about that, other than I tended to favor ryes in the 90-proof region, like Bulleit or Dickel.

Apple Brandy: The decision here is always between the rustic funk of French apple brandy (Calvados) or the oaky structure of American (often called Applejack). Petraske, in the posthumously published book of his drinks called Regarding Cocktails, called specifically for Applejack—if you do use this, try to find the 86 proof bottling from Laird’s that’s still 100 percent apples. Otherwise, I have to say that Calvados makes an absolutely delightful Fall Back, the brandy’s rustic character fitting in perfectly to the drink’s frame.

Sweet Vermouth: Again, depends on the rye (see the discussion about Manhattans to understand why). Petraske called for Carpano Antica, which certainly was the right call for his particular choice of rye and apple brandy. For the ingredients I had at home, I had much better luck with the vanilla depth of Cocchi Vermouth di Torino. Your mileage may vary.

Peychaud’s Bitters: Absolutely necessary. Aside from the noble Sazerac, I can’t think of a drink that so benefits from a few healthy dashes of Peychaud’s than the Fall Back. It rounds the edges of the oak, adds spice to the nose, flesh the the fruit, and charm to the whole experience.

See Also

The 7 Best Bordeaux Blends From the Napa Valley to Drink Now

Up vs. Rocks: Any herbaceous drink will evolve as it warms, which makes serving it up a pretty good idea. That said, if your spirits are 100 proof or you’re struggling with the alcohol heat, put it on ice as Petraske did, wherein the added dilution easily solves the problem.

Garnish: Many people use a lemon peel, which will add brightness. Petraske himself called for an orange peel, and I have to agree—a lemon is colder, a fitted suit, while an orange is like a sweater, more sweetness and warmth.