FOR THE AFTER-DINNER DRINKER
Finger Lakes Cider House Honeycrisp Ice, $27 (37ml)
Interlaken, New York
The juice from pressed Honeycrisp apples is frozen outside during the winter to concentrate the sugars and
then later fermented into a hard cider. Serve this luscious elixir chilled with blue-veined cheeses, apple-based desserts, or crème brûlée.
FOR THE MARTINI MAVEN
Neversink Gin, $45 (750ml)
Elmsford, New York
Eleven botanicals are added to a base spirit made from New York State apples, resulting in a smooth, silky gin ideal for martinis, whether shaken or stirred.
FOR THE MIXOLOGIST
Channing Daughters Autumn: VerVino Vermouth, $29 (500ml)
Bridgehampton, New York
The vineyard famed among Hamptonites in the summer for its crisp Rosato also makes a killer fortified vermouth, comprising Petit Verdot grapes macerated with dozens of botanicals and notes of pear, pumpkin, and butternut squash.
FOR THE NEGRONI ENTHUSIAST
Pollinator Spirits Crimson Amaro, $45 (750ml)
Long Eddy, New York
From the spirits division of Catskill Provisions, which specializes in honey-based products from its own hives, this red Amaro boasts an herbaceous blend of 15 botanicals, including sage and wormwood, which will elevate your Negroni from no-nonsense to nonpareil.
FOR THE CRAFT BEER FANATIC
Grimm Artisanal Ales Riesling Spontaneous Sour Ale, $18 (500ml)
Brooklyn, New York
A hybrid of natural Riesling (grapes courtesy of Long Island’s Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard) and lambic, this ale is tart, floral, crisp, and spicy, with just a touch of funk.
FOR THE SHOT LOVER
Sagaponack Farm Distillery Aquavit, $55 (750ml)
Sagaponack, New York
Dill, caraway, and cilantro are added to a base spirit distilled from Long Island–grown potatoes to make this Danish-style aquavit, which is great straight from the freezer, paired with pickled herring and smoked fish, or stirred into a bloody Mary.
FOR THE SAKE AFICIONADO
Dassai Blue 50 Sake, $35 (720ml)
Hyde Park, New York
In September, the 70-year-old Japanese sake company Dassai opened a 55,000-square-foot brewery near the Culinary Institute of America. This sake, its first release, is an elegant daiginjo, the highest category of sake made from rice that’s polished down to its most flavorful core.
FOR THE ALCHEMIST
Matchbook Distilling Co. Flamingo Riviera Mango & Chili Liqueur, $30 (750ml)
Greenport, New York
Made from fresh mangoes, limes, and Tajín chili seasoning, this liqueur adds a kick to classic cocktails such as old fashioneds and daiquiris.
This article appears in the November/December 2023 issue of NYC&G (New York Cottages & Gardens) with the headline: ShopTalk.