Nine Cider – 5:00 Fridays

I love fall.

It’s the time of year I can finally be outside without being a walking skeeter buffet. I can snooze under the weight of my down comforter with my pup nestled into the back of my knees. I pack away sandals to make room for boots (you know how much I love boots!). I break out sweaters that are more forgiving than summer’s Ts. I roast beets and parsnips and sweet potatoes and have a love fest with rich greens (as in kale, not Benjamins). I can sip coffee on the porch or wine by the outdoor fire. And best of all, we shed summer’s humidity and breath in air as crisp as the season’s apples.

Apples, as in the real deal, not the fake alien green flavored stuff, make for the perfect base for a fall cocktail partnered with rum. Come on, rum has more on his dance card than just Coke or treacly sweet pina colada mix. Cruzan Rum has a new spiced rum coming to a liquor store near you. Cruzan Rum comes to us from St. Croix, an island I haven’t visited but have on my list of places to relax with vacationy red painted toenails, white sandy beaches, and tropical cocktail in hand. The fine folks at Cruzan shared a recipe with me that is making me lust for fall. I think you’ll agree that this cocktail is the perfect antidote to summer’s heat. Let’s welcome autumn with a toast.

Nine things I’m thankful for this fall:

1. My family. I love my boys (I’m talking to you, Mac Daddy, Bird, and Deal.).
2. Having a pet under my roof again.
3. Friends. They really do make the world go ’round.
4. Shoes. Because they always fit regardless how much ice cream I eat.
5. Security. In its many forms.
6. A voice. As in having the freedom and ability to speak up and speak out.
7. My public library. Seriously, I ♥ it.
8. Teachers. My sons spend more time with theirs than me these days. Sniff. Sniff.
9. My kitchen. It’s the heart of this home.

NINE CIDER

1 ½ parts Cruzan 9
1 part Simple Syrup
¾ parts Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 part Fresh Cider (the cloudy kind, not the stuff that looks like apple juice!)
Fresh-grated cinnamon (on top)

Heat the cider. Add the Cruzan 9, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Mix and grate fresh cinnamon on top. Toss in a cinnamon stick for garnish. Plus, it gives your idle hands something to fiddle with.

You can also make this drink cold, but you know, some like it hot.

And as luck would have it, Cruzan Rum’s master distiller (what a great title!) will be here in my fair city, the City of Oaks…where I can’t wait to see the trees shed their summer frocks.

What: Drink with Master Distiller Gary Nelthropp

When: Tuesday, September 14 at 9:00 pm

Where: Solas Restaurant

419 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27603

Details: Open to the public free of charge. Check it out!

I’ll get to see him at one of my favorite haunts earlier in the evening, The Busy Bee Cafe, where he’s doing a little private mixing. Here’s hoping for a sip of something warm on a cool evening.