When the year end holidays roll around, I start to look forward to the Harvest Rye cocktail:

Shake the first three ingredients in an iced shaker and pour into a cocktail glass. Top with cider foam and fresh nutmeg.

My first trip to the bluezoo restaurant at Walt Disney World in Orlando was formative in my desire to make cocktails. Not only do they revive vintage cocktails, they make a number of delicious new ones. When I first had this one, it was so new it didn’t even have a name. Chad Lobner, the General Manager, was kind enough to share some of their recipes with me. He works hard at trying to preserve the spirit behind the classics but adding new twists such as as the use of infusions, gels and foams.

This is definitely the most complex drink I’ve posted so far. While easy to prepare once you have all the ingredients, preparing those can take some time.

But, oh, is it so worth it. At a recent party I couldn’t make them fast enough – even when shaking them two at a time.

One more note: if you have a jar of powdered nutmeg in your house, throw it out. Buy whole nutmeg and a microplane rasp. You won’t be sorry.

Rating: 5/5

Harvest Rye