Sad to say, but sooner rather than later we will be trading in our baseball gloves and bats for pads and footballs as summer turns to fall. Invariably our tastes will shift from vodka and gin to bourbon and scotch. As the seasons change, so do the drink menus, and fall is my favorite time of year to mix.
>> I have been asked plenty of times in the past if the seasons play a part in what we drink. Sales show that the general public tends to lean toward brown spirits during autumn and winter, enjoying a heartier approach to imbibing. So what makes a good autumn cocktail? To answer that question, think back to grade school and awakening on a Saturday morning to the smells of apple pie, cinnamon, nutmeg and roasting butternut squash in the kitchen. Now that you’re an adult, think about how great all those things would smell in a drink…and there’s the added benefit of alcohol!
>> One of my favorite autumn drinks is the Sidecar: cognac, lemon juice and simple syrup. Due to the oak aging it has a lot of spices (cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, etc.) we think about in the fall, bolstered by fresh lemon and rounded out with a touch of sweetness. This drink can be made with a variety of spirits, but I would stick to anything barrel-aged. Try a Sidecar with bourbon, Armagnac or even a great aged rum. One thing is for certain when preparing autumn drinks: Always remember that depth of hearty flavor is key. If citrus reigns supreme in the summer, nuanced and deep flavors are king come September and October. Happy drinking, all!
[try this with that] 
>>sidecar with pizza
Try this Sidecar cocktail with pizza covered in nice, hot guanciale. The guanciale mixes perfectly with cognac since the acid delivers a pleasing contrast.
2 parts cognac
1 part simple syrup
1 part lemon juice
>> Shaken and served with a lemon twist.
[Cory Cuff is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and the restaurant & bar manager at Cielo in the Four Seasons St. Louis.]
