Cocktail Hour: Apple-ginger sparkler

I tend to shy away from cocktails that contain various liquors, flavorings, juices, etc. Opting for simplicity instead, I believe the secret to making a great drink - like a great dish - is using high-quality ingredients. There is just no need to hunt down ten obscure items to make one cocktail, amiright?

For this, I used Speyburn Scotch and Martinelli’s apple juice (the one in the pudgy glass bottle; 100% pasteurized apple juice with no additives). The sweet-tart flavor of apples goes great with the warming, woody aroma of whiskey, and the combination of apple and ginger is a no-brainer.

(Yield: 1 cocktail)
Ingredients:

• Ice
• 1 shot (1 1/2 oz) whiskey
• 2 oz pure apple juice
• 1/2″ piece of ginger, grated
• Seltzer water
• Sliced ginger, for garnish

Procedure: Combine whiskey, juice and grated ginger in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Shake for a few seconds and pour into a 6 oz glass. Top with seltzer water.