Cocktail Spotlight } Vermilion's Falcon Punch

Back by popular demand among Vermilion's customers and staff, the Falcon Punch captures the essence of fall in a glass.

The drink combines housemade apple and pear infused gin, cinnamon simple syrup, unfiltered apple juice and apple brandy, ginger beer, lemon juice, and a dash of bitters — served on the rocks.

Laura Secker, the bar manager at Vermilion, considers the versatile concoction to be a “great cocktail for people who don’t have warm and fuzzy feelings about gin”. The Falcon Punch is sure to change their mind.

Secker strives for the cocktail menu to be “seasonal, fresh, and exciting,” complementing Vermilion’s locally sourced food menu. Her inspiration for the Falcon Punch, which takes its name from a video game originating meme, came last fall when she began experimenting with apple recipes, and found herself looking for a way to make fall ingredients shine. She considers the cocktail a perfect holiday drink, but admits the recipe prep can be labor intensive.

A perfect cocktail for sipping at Vermilion’s cozy bar and lounge, the drink reappeared the first day of fall and will be available until December 22.

Falcon Punch Recipe
makes one drink

1.5 ounces apple pear gin (recipe below)
1/4 ounce cinnamon syrup (recipe below)
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce apple brandy (Laura recommends Captain Apple Jack)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 ounce unfiltered apple juice
1 ounce ginger beer

Add ingredients to glass with ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Apple-Pear Infused Gin
1 750ml bottle of gin (Laura uses Plymouth Gin)
4-5 apples (Gala, Granny Smith — whatever looks the best that day)
1 pear
1/4 pound dried pears

Cut the apples and pears into quarters. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and cover. Let the fruit and gin infuse for about 10 days. Strain.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 cinnamon sticks

Bring water, sugar and cinnamon sticks to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and let infuse for 10 minutes. Syrup will thicken slightly and turn a golden brown color.

Ashlie Hughes is pursuing her longtime dream of writing about food and travel. During her free time she enjoys trying new restaurants, searching for the perfect cocktail, and daydreaming about traveling the world. She currently writes a column titled The Aperitif and other articles for Patch.com.