In Your Glass: Bippity, Boppity, Booze!

If you’re someone who subscribes to the notion of “coffee in the a.m., cocktails in the p.m.,” then we have the p.m. part to match your seasonal a.m. PSL (aka the pumpkin spice latte): the face of fall beverages. 

This cocktail incorporates the big, orange fruit through homemade or store-bought pumpkin puree, and it adds a zing of ginger to punch up the flavor profile. Lime juice layers a touch of sour while honey syrup injects some sweet. 

It’s a surprisingly sleek beverage, worthy of a signature-drink designation for post-Pumpkin Patch festivities or a 21-plus Halloween celebration. But plan ahead — you’ll want to make a ginger-infused vodka first.

Ingredients

• 2 oz ginger vodka
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1 oz pumpkin puree (both the plain and pie-spiced versions will work; the pie-spiced version will be sweeter and spicier)
• 1 splash honey syrup
• Long ginger slice or candied ginger as garnish

In a cocktail shaker, add ice, ginger vodka, lime juice, pumpkin puree and honey syrup. Shake vigorously, then strain over fresh ice into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with the ginger slice or candied ginger. Serve and enjoy!

DIY Ginger Vodka

It’s very easy to make your own ginger-infused vodka. Essentially, all you need is a mid-tier vodka, fresh ginger and a cool, dark place. 

• 1/2 cup fresh ginger, cut into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
• 1 750-ml bottle mid-tier vodka

Add the freshly cut ginger to a glass bottle with a tight-sealing lid. Add the vodka. Shake well and store in a cool, dark place. Shake the bottle every few days, and after seven days, test the vodka’s flavor. Let the mixture infuse for up to a week longer if you want a stronger flavor. Once satisfied, strain out all of the ginger pieces, and rebottle the vodka under a tight seal. Store in a cool, dark place.