Recipe
October Prescription
Print or online media may reprint this excerpt with the following attribution: “Excerpted from Luscious Liqueurs, by A.J. Rathbun, © 2008, and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press
October Prescription
It can be so difficult to shift out of late summer mode, but October quickly gets colder and darker. There is a way around this fall failing, and that’s to embrace the October Prescription. It takes fall darlings apple and cinnamon and adds a few new spicy wrinkles that are sure to sparkle taste buds and attitudes—as long as you remember to make it near the beginning of September, so it’s ready in time.
Makes about 3 1/2 pints
2 cups dark brown sugar
3 cups apple juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cups brandy
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Combine the brown sugar and apple juice in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and bring almost, but not quite, to a boil, stirring regularly. Once it’s reached this almost-boiling point, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Cook for 5 minutes more, stirring regularly and never letting the liquid get above a simmer. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
3. Pour the mixture into a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Add the brandy and seal. Place in a cool, dry spot away from sunlight. Let sit for 2 weeks, swirling occasionally.
4. Add the vanilla, stir well, and reseal. Return to its spot. Let sit for 2 more weeks.
5. Strain the liqueur through a double layer of cheesecloth into a pitcher or other easy-pouring vessel. Strain again through 2 new layers of cheesecloth into 1 large bottle or a number of small bottles or jars.
A Note: The October Prescription can be enjoyed at room temperature, or even slightly heated, as well as chilled. It’s also good when added to a mug of warm apple cider.
