On the heels of September’s dedication to bourbon comes another boozy holiday. October 4 is National Vodka Day. Celebrate with the quintessential fall flavor: cranberry.
“Vodka and cranberry—ahh yes, the inseparable ingredients,” mixologist Rustyn Vaughn Lee says. He’s describing his Rose Marie ($8) on the new cocktail menu at Velveteen Rabbit, the hip Downtown drinking spot. The libation, named after Countess Rose Kennedy (the powerful mama of Jack, Bobby, Joe and Ted), is approachable, yet dynamic. Vaughn Lee’s ingredient choices result in a highbrow vodka-cran. Leopold’s Cranberry captures the flavors of berries straight from the bogs of Massachusetts. A touch of hand-crafted bitters incorporate cocoa, cinnamon and spice beautifully, and the essence of sage is nothing short of enchanting.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Svedka Vodka
½ oz. Leopold Bros. Cranberry Liqueur
½ oz. Art in the Age Sage
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup
1 dash of Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 oz. club soda
lemon wedge (garnish)
Method: Combine first six ingredients and ice in mixing glass. Shake and strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with lemon wedge.