Guest Author - Beth Schreibman Gehring
I love the fall season, it's my favorite time of year! In northeast Ohio where I live, the air turns crispy and becomes scented with the aroma of windfall apples and pumpkin pie!
I love to ride so I spend the fall hanging out in the barn, going on long gorgeous trail rides and competing in my favorite pastime, the Hunter Trials. Hunter trial days are long and satisfying, starting early in the morning and ending late in the day with a lot of excitement and some pretty wonderful tailgates in between. The jumping can be strenuous, the competition fierce, but in the end it's all about the fun and camaraderie that occurs between friends bonded by the thrill of the chase and their horses!
This year, our beloved Chagrin Valley Hunt celebrated it's 100th anniversary, so in it's honor I created this cocktail. I call it "Run Fox Run!" and it's been adored so far far by all who've tasted it. It's fabulously wicked so I suggest some restraint and it's a delicious pleasure for a chilly day or a even colder evening. I love to drink it warm by the fire, but it was equally good sipped straight from my hunting flask! "Run Fox Run" can be shaken or stirred then poured into a cocktail glass, or you can add a lot of the ginger ale and more of the ingredients to blend into a wonderful holiday punch. I've served it all of these ways and it hasn't disappointed me yet! Be as creative as you want and let me know how you fare.
To make one sparkling hi-ball you will need,
1 ounce of Captain Morgan Private Stock spiced rum -Do pay a bit more and get the Private Stock , it's worth it! However, if you're making punch, go for the regular Captain Morgan.
1 Tablespoon of Goldschlager
2 Tablespoons of Butterscotch schnapps
2 tablespoons of Laphroaig single malt scotch- The Laphroaig lends a smoky flavor which I love, but any good single malt can be used. No blends need apply!
Stirrings Ginger Ale - Even if you're serving this warm!
Freshly pressed apple cider
In a mixing pitcher combine the rum, Goldschlager, schnapps and single malt. Stir briskly and add the cider and ginger ale to taste.
Add freshly frozen and cracked ice to a tall glass and pour the blended cocktail over it. Stir gently and garnish with a slice of sugared apple. For fun, I've previously chilled all of the ingredients and instead of the ice added scoops of homemade rum raisin ice cream for a delightfully grown up float!
If you want to serve this as a toddy, bring the cider and ginger ale to almost boiling, pour into a heat resistant mug and then add the alcohol. Garnish this with a cinnamon stick or a wonderful cinnamon stick candy.
For the high powered version, place all of the alcoholic ingredients and only a small amount of the cider and ginger ale into a stainless shaker with some very hard ice and shake briskly. Pour into a martini glass that you've painted with a drizzle of liquid caramel and enjoy!
Tally Ho!
