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Autumn Leaves
Posted: July 18, 2026
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About
The Autumn Leaves is a stirred cocktail that captures the feeling of fall in a glass, combining bourbon and calvados — the apple brandy of Normandy, France — with bitter Cynar, sweet vermouth, and a touch of maple syrup. Bourbon provides the caramel backbone; calvados adds crisp apple and oak; Cynar contributes herbaceous bitterness; and maple syrup ties it together with a woodsy sweetness that feels quintessentially autumnal. Created by bartender Dominique Gauthier, it appears on seasonal menus worldwide when the leaves start to turn, and for good reason: it's the perfect cold-weather aperitif.
Ingredients
1 oz Bourbon Whiskey
0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
0.5 oz Cynar
0.25 oz Maple Syrup
1 oz Calvados
Instructions
- Combine bourbon, calvados, sweet vermouth, Cynar, and maple syrup in a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir for 30 seconds until well chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain into a chilled coupe or over a large ice cube in a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a dehydrated apple slice or orange twist.