Empire Builder Cocktail
Winner of the Heavy Table Fall Contest.
Ingredients:
2 oz Crispin Original
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz Starbucks Coffee Liquor (*)
Dash of simple syrup

(*) Starbucks works here because its a liquor that's about the coffee first.
Something like Kahlua is too sticky-sweet and ruins the effect.

Notes from the creator:
Okay, at first glance, you'd think this would not work at all, but its actually the best of many Crispin-based drinks I've concocted.
Its completely unintuitive, but the Starbucks actually enhances and highlights the subtle
apple essence of Crispin Original. Crispin Original has such a subtle flavor (closer to
champagne than the typical brewed hard cider); its all too easy to obliterate it -- trust me, this works.
Scott Wentzka