Fall Cocktail: The Fez Fiz at the Red Fez

Some cocktails are so linked to a particular season that to imagine them outside of that context incurs a bit of a mind-melt. The so-called “fizz” is a classic example: typically made with gin, an egg white and cream for froth, and other assorted sprightly ingredients, it’s the pageant queen of summer drinks.

Well, it turns out that the Red Fez takes a different approach. For them the fizz is appropriate throughout the year, but they adapt their offering to whatever season is at hand. As the calendar transitions to autumn, they switch to something that’s moodier and richer than what you’d want to gulp down on a sweltering August day. And, for the record, they serve a “fiz” with one z, to mirror the restaurant’s name: A Fez Fiz.

This year, their fall iteration includes apple cider and the under-appreciated Pimm’s Blackberry and Elderflower Liqueur. Everyone, or most everyone, knows of the classic Pimm’s Liqueur: it’s bitter, assertive, bright red and the central ingredient in the Pimm’s Cup. It’s the kind of liqueur that’s an acquired taste, and also capable of getting you and your palate to stand at attention on a sultry summer day. By contrast, Pimm’s Blackberry and Elderflower offshoot is less astringent, more darkly romantic and well-suited to a cool and cloudy day of drinking.

Fez Fiz – The Fall Version
Serves one

Red Fez owner Kevin Berglun recommends a cider that’s unfiltered and local, such as Jaswell’s (based in Smithfield). Adjust the sweetness levels to your taste by dialing the cider and bubbly proportions up or down.

2oz standard dry gin
2oz apple cider
1oz Pimm’s Blackberry and
Elderflower Liqueur
Topper of Champagne (or Prosecco, or Cava)
Ice
Orange slice

Mix the first three ingredients in a pint glass or mason jar to blend. Fill the glass with ice and top with bubbly of choice. Serve with a straw and an orange slice to get the full effect.

Red Fez
49 Peck Street
861-3825
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