Photos by L.G. Patterson

Though fall is firmly in the rearview mirror as we head into winter, I’m not ready to let go. One of my favorite late fall traditions is getting a group of friends together and going to a different corn maze every year. (We’re getting close to running out of new mazes in Missouri!) The following cocktail is an amalgamation of various maze memories combined into a single glass.

I wanted something that was easy to drink but stiff enough to warm you up for those winter nights when you’re thinking of those fond fall memories, so I used DogMaster bourbon. It has a touch of pepperiness that can withstand flavors being stacked on it while still easily identified as bourbon. Adding apple cider seems pretty obvious as there are several mazes attached to orchards. And rosemary and cocoa bitters are complementary earthy flavors that blend and keep the cider from becoming too sweet.

The oddest touch is the charred cinnamon stick, but I wanted to add some smokiness to harken back to campfires and mulled cider. Plus, it adds an aroma that helps build toward that very first sip.

Paul Froeschle is the distiller at DogMaster Distillery.