This rum-based martini is perfect for any round (and any meal)

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Nothing marks an epic holiday gathering like a rich and tasteful nightcap. Kris Vickrey is the head bartender at Constantino’s – an elegant, members-only restaurant in Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, Ariz.—and he’s created a concoction that’s sure to impress every guest at the table.

The Fall Apple features a chocolate rim dipped in graham cracker crumbs and a heady mix of spiced rum, Grand Marnier, cinnamon-vanilla agave and heavy cream to give the cocktail the appropriate seasonal snow-white color. Adding a splash of sparkling apple cider before serving gives the drink its bubbly, fluffy, apple flavor.

Vickrey added the cocktail to the seasonal drink menu at Constantino’s for the first time last year, and the drink was such a hit that he says he’ll be making a return engagement this fall and winter.

“The inspiration was apple pie and ice cream,” he says. “This is a pleasure to highlight when all the members are bringing their families. It’s the perfect way to end the night.”

Fall apples pair well with delicious food served during the holidays. Prime rib is a great choice, says Vickrey, as are other family gathering foods like beef, steak, the turkey even spaghetti and meatballs. Side dishes like mashed potatoes and asparagus also pair well.

While the ingredients and preparation for Fall Apples can seem intimidating, Vickrey says you shouldn’t be too predictable.

“The beautiful thing to do cocktails it’s how flexible you become to be with them,” he says. “If you don’t have all the ingredients at home to make it, you can be creative. If you want to make a sugar lip instead of a graham cracker lip, go for it. If you want to use a caramel dipping sauce on your lips instead of chocolate, that tastes fantastic too.”

Heavy cream can also be used for a non-dairy product like oat milk, says Vickrey.

“That’s the fun part of my job,” he adds. “You have to be flexible.”

Autumn apple cocktail

-3 cloves
-3 cinnamon sticks
-1 spoon of vanilla extract
– Agave syrup
-1 oz spiced rum
-1 oz Grand Marnier
-1 oz heavy cream
-Fizzy apple cider sprinkles

Decorate: Chocolate, crushed graham crackers, cinnamon sugar, apple slices

Take a chilled martini glass and dip the rim into a prepared chocolate sauce, then add crushed graham crackers and cinnamon sugar. Set aside. Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks and vanilla extract to the agave syrup. Blend to make cinnamon-vanilla agave. Add 1 ounce to a cocktail shaker, followed by the rum, Grand Marnier and heavy cream. Shake well and strain into the prepared martini glass. Top with a splash of sparkling apple cider, then garnish with apple slices.