The Best Drinks in Brooklyn this Fall

November 3, 8:17 PMBrooklyn Restaurant ExaminerCarlin Catra Cwik

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http://www.magnerscider.com/

As the nights get longer and the flurry of dead leaves and heavy winds looms, I'll admit that I'm one to mummify myself in several wool blankets, put in Woody Allen's Manhattan on repeat and, well, drink; on repeat. But I tend to stick to old favorites: gin and tonic, a pint of warm beer, the well special. It's not that I'm opposed to experimental concoctions of the alcoholic variety (God knows, why would I keep up a food & drink column if that was the case?), it's just that I'd rather suck down an apple pie candle topped with toasted matches than ingest seasonal Pumpkin Ale with promises of raisin and butternut afterthoughts. Gross.

But I've found, much to my delight, that some drinks this season are worth the potential cab fare, heavy jacket, freak wasp attacks and wind in your throat. This fall say goodbye to summer with grace and keep the wool blankets in storage with these unique finds:

Magner's Irish Cider

Like a breeding of apple champagne and full-bodied chardonnay, this authentic hard cider is imported from Magner’s apple orchards in the rocky hills of Ireland. Believe it or not, Magner’s is a class act – nothing like those sugary ciders coating the mouths of college freshman. It’s been pressed fresh and served over ice since 1935 throughout Ireland, Great Britain and in Europe.

But you can find it in Brooklyn at:

• Cherry Tree Bar    
• No. 7   
• Brooklyn Public House

Enjoy it with a variety of cheeses, or my favorite, a turkey sandwich on warm pretzel bread.

http://www.courvoisier.com/

Courvoisier Exclusif Cognac

Chances are you’ve heard of it, or at least you’ve heard of Napoleon – who used to drink it and award a ration to his artillery officers before bringing several hundred bottles of the cognac with him when he was exiled to the island of St. Helena. Distilled from grapes in France’s six crus and aged in finely fired and coopered French Oak barrels, if you’d like to rediscover the complexity and depth of a cognac this autumn, it’s best to begin with Courvoisier Exclusif. Unlike many cognac, it's designed specifically to be mixed. In 2007 it won the cold medal at the International Wine and Spirit competition and this Friday night it will lend something unique to your otherwise regular cosmo, mojito or sour.

Ask for Courvoisier in Brooklyn at:

• Cafe Tabu  
• Club Nocturnal 
• Mojito Cuban Cuisine
  
  Enjoy it with fall flavors like apple, cranberry, cherry and ginger ale.
   

http://www.barenjagerhoney.com/

Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur

Sweet it is, but girlie it’s not. This liqueur, with honey after thoughts and a smart woodsy finish, is born of the medieval hunting traditions made up of the most masculine of pairings: man and bear. Woodland warriors, known as bärenjägers, used to hunt bear for glory’s sake and toast to their success afterward with meschknnies; a medieval moonshine distilled from honey the hunters found in the woods after the battle. Today we have Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur; luscious, thick and delicious in your glass or on dessert, and certainly safe to drink before or after the hunt.

Find it in Brooklyn at:

• The Clover Club 
• Rose Water
  
  Drizzle it over vanilla bean ice cream, mix with tea or sour.