Make me a ... Bourbon Apple Punch

Ah, the classics.

Boo, the classics. Boooooring. Making a perfect martini is a noble effort, but it is more fun to play with liqueurs and liquors of many colors and flavors. Consider the possibilities.

Modern bartenders take special delight in innovation, so we asked the mixologists of Mangroves Seafood Grille & Bar in South Tampa to start with bourbon and riff from there.

Alisha Ross and Larry Hudson took the whiskey down a country road and picked apples and almonds. The first came from sour apple pucker, a schnapps with candy jawdropper flavor that's a must on modern martini lists. The nuts came from a much older sweet treat, amaretto.

"We know what goes together," said Ross, 22, who first tended bar at Whiskey Park South. Still, the rough sweetness of bourbon with tart apples was a risk.

"Surprisingly it worked well; I didn't expect it," Ross said. Amaretto smoothed the drink, and tweaking added color and complexity.

Chris Sherman, Times staff writer

Mix it up

Bourbon Apple Punch

1 1/4 ounce Maker's Mark bourbon

1/2 ounce sour apple pucker schnapps

1/2 ounce amaretto

Splash of sour mix, cranberry and grenadine

- Shake all ingredients lightly and pour over crushed ice in a chilled glass.

- Garnish with a thin pinwheel of green apple.

Source: Mangroves Seafood Grille & Bar