Apple Crate Martini

2023 Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 8 – Apple Crate Martini. Chopin Potato Vodka is the world’s most awarded potato vodka. I’m celebrating it’s earthy, full-bodied profile in this spirit-forward martini that leans into its notes of green apple and vanilla.

This sophisticated sipper is a far-cry from the “Appletini” that was ubiquitous in the ’90s along with other saccharine, liqueur-laden “martinis” that dominated cocktail menus during those dark days of mixology.

This post is sponsored Chopin Vodka.

This cocktail is dry and spirituous as a martini should be. Splitting the dry vermouth with calvados (an apple brandy) adds complexity and amplifies the apple taste from the cider. A hint of honey, thyme & vermouth syrup brings everything to life and makes the finished product more palatable for novice martini drinkers.

Chopin is a family owned and operated business, something few in the spirit trade can claim. In fact, they are Poland’s last family owned vodka brand.

When its founder, Tadeusz Dorda, bought Chopin he took on a distillery that had been making vodka since 1896, and with it a piece of Polish history.

Preserving Poland’s centuries-old vodka-making legacy is top of mind for the team at Chopin. That is why the family is so focused on quality, devoted to changing the common misconceptions around vodka, and continue to work with the same farmers for generations, building lasting relationships based on mutual respect and a passion for creating the world’s best vodka.

Chopin doesn’t produce artificially flavoured vodka and never will. Their potato, rye, and wheat vodkas are a celebration of the quality of ingredients they’re made from.

All their crops are grown within 20 miles of the distillery near Krzesk, in the farming heartland of eastern Poland. This allows the team at Chopin to work closely with its suppliers to maintain the quality their vodka demands, personally selecting ingredients to ensure only the very best are used.

As for the water, it is drawn from an artesian spring deep beneath the earth, using their own on-site well.

Once in the hands of Chopin’s master distiller, an ancient alchemy transforms these humble ingredients into the world’s finest single-ingredient vodkas.

The quality of Chopin Potato Vodka is immediately perceptible on the palate. It has a creamy and earthy taste with a full-bodied mouthfeel and a long, clean finish, without any burn. Making it a tremendous base for this Apple Crate Martini.

Be sure to tune into my Instagram Stories tonight at 5 p.m. Eastern for a step-by-step cocktail tutorial on how to shake up this tasty tipple.

Cheers, friends!

Apple Crate Martini

5 from 1 vote

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Apple Crate Martini

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Chopin Potato Vodka is the world’s most awarded potato vodka. I’m celebrating it’s earthy, full-bodied profile in this spirit-forward martini that leans into its notes of green apple and vanilla.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Apple Brandy, Brandy, Vermouth, Vodka

Servings: 1 drink

Author: Yvonne Langen

Ingredients

• 1½ oz Chopin Potato Vodka
• ½ oz calvados
• ½ oz dry vermouth
• ¾ oz apple cider
• ½ honey thyme & vermouth syrup
• Garnish: citrus oils from lemon twist
• Garnish: apple fan

Honey, Thyme & Vermouth Syrup

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup dry vermouth
• ½ cup fresh thyme sprigs

Instructions

1. Add ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
3. Express citrus oils from a lemon twist onto the surface of the drink. Rub the peel around the lip of the glass, discard.
4. Garnish with an apple fan.

Honey, Thyme & Vermouth Syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat – do not boil. Stir often until honey is fully incorporated, thyme is fragrant and syrup is thickened – about 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Remove solids and fine strain into an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.