Recipe for the Michigander:
1 ounce apple brandy or applejack
1 ounce Cynar
3/4 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce honey syrup (2:1 mix)
1 twist of grapefruit peel for garnish
Shake with ice, strain, pour over rocks, garnish.
This episode of "Cheers to the Weekend, Michigan!" features a cocktail created by a Michigan native, Jason Schiffer.
"He moved out to California and created this drink because he missed his home state," said Tammy Coxen of Tammy's Tastings.
The Michigander is a reminder of fall, the cider season. The apple brandy or applejack is reminiscent of apple cider. Schiffer originally made the drink with Laird's Apple Brandy, but has come to prefer Apple Jack.
The Cynar is an amaro, a bitter, sweet liqueur from Italy with complex herbal notes. "This is actually made from artichokes," Coxen said, adding, "I doesn't really taste like artichokes, but it really brings a unique flavor."
The honey syrup is a mix of two parts honey with one part hot water.
"Honey is so thick if you tried to add it directly to the cocktail it would make it difficult to mix," Coxen explains. She got the honey from a beehive she can see from her back porch, adding to the Michigan theme.
