Sugarbush

Name: Sugarbush
Ingredients: 2 1/2 oz Michter's Rye; 1/2 oz Lemon Juice; 1/2 oz Maple Syrup; 1/2 oz Aperol

By Brendan Naylor

Submitted on: February 27, 2021

Seasonal

Signatures

A bittersweet ode to the turning of the leaves in rural Vermont. As a bartender at Cafe Luxembourg on the Upper West Side of NYC, I was given a lot of freedom to experiment and test drink recipes on a nightly basis. We would change the specialty cocktail menu seasonally, and I was happy when this got picked up for our fall menu. I was just getting into experimenting with ingredients that weren't found on your typical bar (honey, salt, sherry, etc) and really found this to be an indulgent, but so...

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz
Michter's Rye

1/2 oz
Lemon Juice

1/2 oz
Maple Syrup

1/2 oz
Aperol

Tools

Cocktail Shaker
Martini Glass

Instructions

Garnish

Build

Glass

Estimated strength

About 22% ABV (estimate)

By Brendan Naylor

Former Bartender

Brendan works in film/TV in NYC. A seasonal drinker, he enjoys a mezcal margarita in summer and a Boulevardier in winter. A straight-up gin martini will always make a bad day better.

Other Recipes by Brendan Naylor

Gin Dragon

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Editor's Note

Rye whiskey meets maple syrup in this autumnal sour. Aperol adds a subtle, bittersweet finish that balances the richness of the maple.

Ratings & Comments (1)

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Crafted Pour

23 April 2026

What a fantastic fall cocktail! The story behind its creation at Cafe Luxembourg is wonderful. The combination of spicy rye, maple, and Aperol sounds like the perfect tribute to a Vermont autumn.