Long, long ago, when I was a child in the Late Cretaceous, late September was one of the low-key best times of the year. That’s when the new cartoons premiered on Saturday mornings. I’m at the age when strong feelings of joy and anticipation are largely a pale memory, but at the time, the prospect of new episodes of Jonny Quest filled my world with a sparkle and wonder that I miss dearly.
For adults, weeks crawl by, seasons bleed unremarked into each other, and the next thing you know, you’re having earnest conversations with strangers about dental plans and snow tires.
So — what to do about it?
Another fall has rotated into place. Perhaps, the key to being more alive and in-the-moment might be to look to the past and do what our ancestors did to mark the change of seasons.
The ancient Celts believed that grain spirits were trapped in the last grain to be harvested and needed to be set free, so they would weave the stalks of the last of their harvests into a Wicker Man, then symbolically burn that and scatter the ashes across their fields.
My fear of confrontation is such that I think I’d have trouble murdering even a piece of glorified deck furniture.
Perhaps the best plan is to lean into our own fall tradition — Pumpkin Spice.
Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup
- 7 grams whole cinnamon sticks, broken
- 5 grams fresh ginger, chopped
- 3 grams allspice berries
- 3 grams whole cloves
- 5 grams whole nutmeg
- 1 cup/200 grams sugar
- 1 cup/225 gram (ml) water
Lightly crush the allspice, nutmeg and cloves in a mortar and pestle. You might want to start with the nutmeg, because it is probably in one big chunk. You’re not trying to grind these spices down to powder, just to crack them all open to allow more surface area contact with the boiling syrup.
Put all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 15 to 20 seconds to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved.
Set aside and allow to steep for an hour.
Strain with a fine-meshed strainer, then filter with a coffee filter to take out all the bits of spices.
Bottle and label. Store in your refrigerator.
Because this recipe measures the spices by mass, not by volume, theoretically, it should work just as well with ground spices, but the end result will probably be a cloudier syrup.
An easy cocktail to make with this:
[Your Name] Special
- ¾ oz. pumpkin spice syrup (see above)
- 2 oz. applejack
- ¾ oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
Shake over ice.
Pour into a coupé glass.
Drink with a glad heart, full of good will.
Is this a glorified daiquiri? Possibly.
A brandy sour? Well, yes, that, too.
Lemon juice and simple syrup are a classic combination, because the lemon brings a bright acidity, without too much baggage, flavor-wise. In this case, the heavy lifting is done by the pumpkin-spice syrup, which reminds you of hay rides and stuff, while the applejack, an apple brandy, gives the whole enterprise some boozy authority.
This is one of those drinks that you can make for a friend, and when they sip it and ask what it is, you can call it a “[Their Name] Special.” When they ask what’s in it, you reply, “Trust.”
Then you sit on the deck together and make fun of the squirrels.
Featured photo. Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup. Photo by John Fladd.
