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The Thousand Autumns
1.5 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Vanilla Pumpkin Syrup
0.5 Creme de Cacao
0.75 Domaine de Canton
2 Dashes Aztec Chocolate Bitters

Shake well with ice and serve up. Garnish with a vanilla bean dipped in the leftover pumpkin purée from making the syrup.

NOTES: I liked this one a lot. I’m getting a little unhealthily obsessed with the coming of fall (I can’t be the only one SO SICK of being hot all the time), so the moment we got a couple days of brisk weather, it was time to start celebrating. It still tastes like a pretty solid rye drink (the syrup is a little less sweet than others I’ve made), but there isn’t much harsh bite to it. Just a nice warmth that sticks around in your stomach. The vanilla isn’t overpowering, but you definitely notice it’s there if you pay attention. The cacao and canton also don’t really stand out without looking for them, but they give the drink a nice well-rounded flavor.

Vanilla Pumpkin Syrup
1 can Pumpkin Puree
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
2-3 cups water

Bring the puree and 1 can full of water to a boil and slowly stir in the sugar. Take the vanilla bean and slice it longways, but don’t bother ripping it open and scraping the seeds out this time. Toss the whole thing in and reduce to a simmer. Cook it down for about 15-20 minutes, and then strain it 2-3 times through a fine strainer.

NOTES: This is a lot thicker than most syrups. I actually strained once and was left with a whole bowl of thick puree, so I put it back on the stove with another can of water and repeated the whole process. Let the syrup cool, add about an ounce of high-proof vodka or everclear, shake well and refrigerate. Save the leftover puree because it makes for a nice garnish.