Autumn Leaves
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 27.7% ABV ∙
The Autumn Leaves is a stirred, spirit-forward cocktail of rye whiskey, Calvados and sweet vermouth with a little Strega and optional aromatic bitters.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Rye whiskey 30 mlCalvados 30 mlCarpano Antica Formula vermouth 30 mlLiquore Strega 10 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes (opt.)
- Strain into the ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice)
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stir over large cubes for about 30 seconds; that gets this strong drink cold without watering it down.
- There's only 10 ml of Strega, and a heavy hand lets it take over the whole drink.
History
The Autumn Leaves was created in 2008 by bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler at the Bel Ami Lounge in Eugene, Oregon. Morgenthaler devised it while developing a seasonal drink menu shortly after revisiting the Vieux Carré, the rye-and-brandy Sazerac-family cocktail created at New Orleans' Hotel Monteleone in 1938, and he built the new drink on that same whiskey-brandy-vermouth-bitters structure. Finding he was short on the Bénédictine the Vieux Carré also calls for, he substituted Strega, and swapped in apple brandy and a house-made cinnamon tincture in place of the Vieux Carré's cognac and Peychaud's-style bitters, arriving at the drink that became the Autumn Leaves.
The cinnamon tincture in the original recipe is often replaced with Angostura bitters in later published versions.
FAQ
How do you make an Autumn Leaves cocktail?
Stir 30 ml each of rye whiskey, Calvados and Carpano Antica Formula vermouth with 10 ml Liquore Strega and, if you like, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. Strain over fresh ice, ideally one large cube, in an old-fashioned glass and garnish with an orange twist.
What makes the Autumn Leaves a seasonal fall cocktail?
Its flavors lean toward autumn: Calvados brings baked apple, while the rye, sweet vermouth and Strega add warming spice and herbs.
Is an Autumn Leaves cocktail shaken or stirred?
Stirred. There is no citrus or juice in it, so stirring chills and dilutes the spirits without the cloudiness and air a shake would add.
What glass is an Autumn Leaves served in?
An old-fashioned glass over ice, ideally one large cube, with an orange twist.
Is the Autumn Leaves cocktail strong?
Yes. It comes in at about 27.7% ABV: whiskey, brandy, vermouth and a liqueur with no juice or mixer, so only the stir and the ice soften it. It is a drink to sip slowly, closer in strength to a Boulevardier than to a highball.
