Johanna Cole, general manager at Eleanore in Edinburgh, has unveiled her recipe for an apple highball, a sophisticated autumnal aperitif. Cole expressed her fondness for calvados, stating that the highball was developed from an appreciation for calvados and tonic.
The recipe details how to create an apple syrup using braeburn apples and caster sugar, which can be stored for up to four weeks. The drink itself combines 25ml calvados, 20ml Lillet Blanc, 15ml of the homemade apple syrup, 15ml fresh lemon juice, a dash of orange bitters, and dashes of champagne and tonic water to taste.
To prepare, all liquids except the champagne and tonic are shaken with ice before being strained into a chilled highball glass. It is then topped with champagne and tonic, stirred, and finished with a twist of lemon zest.