As cooler temperatures and circles of fallen leaves begin to close in on us, bartenders are making way for this season’s most prized offering: apples. From cocktail bases and mixers, and from bitters to finishing touches, the folks behind the bar are showcasing their creativity in tackling the multitude of apple ABV options out there — while also proving that autumn’s go-to fruit isn’t reserved for the kitchen, alone. Here, we present just five that are sprouting up across town.

THE MELA at A VOCE COLUMBUS: At A Voce Columbus, cocktails such as the Agro Dolce, with sour mash bourbon and Aperol, and the Sanguinella, with Campari and limoncello, reflect beverage director Olivier Flosse‘s flair for La Dolce Vita in ingredients and titles alike. For the Mela, Flosse creates a puree with local upstate New York apples that he shakes with apple cider, lemon juice, and cinnamon before pouring the concoction over ice and garnishing it with an apple peel.

THE WARM & COZY at THE MEATBALL SHOP: The traditional hot toddy gets a fruit-forward revamp from The Meatball Shop’s beverage director Skye LaTorre, who decided to use Laird’s apple brandy as the base spirit for the Warm & Cozy. LaTorre continues to boost flavor by adding apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, star anise, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg before serving the spice powerhouse in an Irish coffee mug.

THE ANGRY APPLE at THE SMITH: The Smith’s Beverage director Jeff Leanheart isn’t one to shy away from funky flavor combinations, as evidenced by marriages of lemon salt and pomegranate vodka (the Pom del Sol), cayenne and Serrano chili vermouth (the Bee Sting) or coconut tequila and Mexican chocolate bitters (the Don Pedro #2). One ultra current example is the Angry Apple, a shaken and strained sipper of vodka, jalapeno, fresh apple, apple liqueur, and lemon.

PRINCE STREET CIDER at DELICATESSEN: Cider gets a kick at Delicatessen, where executive chef and partner Michael Ferraro blends Montecristo rum and adds ginger-based Domaine Canton with apple cider for the Prince Street Cider. To round out such bold flavors, he also adds simple syrup, cinnamon, and crushed lemon before shaking and straining the cocktail into a lowball glass, which he garnishes with lemon and cinnamon.

THE SMOKEY APPLE at GINNY'S SUPPER CLUB: Guests can line up for live jazz, reggae and rock nearly four times a week at Ginny's Supper Club, Marcus Samuelsson’s take on a modern day Harlem jazz club that is situated directly below Red Rooster Harlem. Diners can also expect updated renditions of classic cocktails, including the Smokey Apple, a mezcal-based libation with lime and baked apple bitters that is shaken over ice and strained into a rocks glass.

By Nicole Schnitzler

(Photos From Left: Prince Street Cider by Kelly Pretsch; The Mela; The Warm & Cozy)