embracing austin autumn

I miss Fall. I hail from the Northeastern half of the country, a Yankee if you will. I never knew a life without the changing of the seasons. September meant leaves changing color, December meant White Christmases, and April meant the emergence of flower buds. When I moved to New York, my new favorite season became Fall. Fall in New York meant going back to school, getting back to my job at the tea house, pots of my autumnal favorites like Apricot Cinnamon Tisane or Lapsang Souchong, and a closet of heavy sweaters, scarves, and knee-high boots.

I have come down with a heavy case of homesickness in the month of October dreaming of these blustery New York days in said boots and sweaters with hot to-go cups of said teas. Then I take a walk with friends through Central Park, red and orange leaves on the trees, ending up on the cobblestone sidewalks of Museum Mile, paying a measly dollar donation in order to browse the 19th century section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Now being in Texas, I have to acclimate to new seasons and new fall fantasies. Luckily, for me, Texas has cooled down and New York is blanketed in snow for Halloween and I get to enjoy sweater weather and knee-high boots at the perfect time of year. Unfortunately, my current job at Fino cannot provide me with huge pots of smokey tea leaves but it does offer some new concoctions from our lovely bartender, Josh Loving, with a bit more burn, bite, and spice. So I have revised a set of new fall fantasies that include some lapsang souchong-infused mezcal and apricot liqueurs- just so not to move too far away from my comfort zone.

Pim-Pim Pot-still

+  pimm’s no. 1

+  smith & cross pot-still rum

+  allspice dram

+  allspice syrup

+  chinese five-spice bitters

Maple Leaf

+  maker’s mark bourbon

+  maple syrup

+  lemon

+  cinnamon

Ghosts of the Pine

+  nux alpina walnut liqueur

+  rittenhouse rye whiskey

+  zirbenz stone pine liqueur

+  del maguey chichicapa mezcal

+  lapsang souchong

+  orange bitters

Millionaire Cocktail

+  smith & cross pot-still rum

+  plymouth sloe gin

+  orchard apricot

+  lime

Autumn Toddy

+  blume-marillen apricot eau-de-vie

+  laird’s apple brandy

+  honey

+  angostura bitters

+ orange

+ clove

 

After a Saturday afternoon tasting all of these, you end up in a nice Autumn haze to forget all about your homesickness.