Pressed to Death
It’s the season of harvest parties and apple pressing. In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts it was also the season of pressing people… to death. More on this in a second. Back to the apples, and the cocktail.
This drink, which I’m calling Pressed to Death, smacks you in the face with bright tart notes of apple and citrus, then finishes with a subtle cinnamon spice that warms the cockles of your heart.
Sip slowly, close your eyes, and imagine the weight of the world lifting off your shoulders.
Giles Corey: Pressed to Death Sept. 19, 1962
Let’s get back to Salem, Massachusetts and those 1692 Witch Trials. Giles Corey, an 81 year old English farmer, refused to plead guilty or not guilty of witchcraft and was pressed with large stones as an effort to force him to plead. From what I gathered from various internet sources, which may or may not be reliable, his primary accuser was a 12 year old girl who had a scary dream about him. Giles thought it was a farce and refused to plead. Some sources say Giles was a petty thief and a murderer.
I have a lot of questions about all of this. How many people lived to be 81 years old in the 1600s? I mean, that’s some kind of sorcery, right? Who came up with the idea of pressing someone under large stones? If a 12 year old girl’s nightmare can sentence someone to death, wouldn’t she be the witch?
Giles was pressed to death, accidentally. If the stones hadn’t killed him, he would have been hanged with the other witches. The late 1600s sound dark AF.
If you get the chance to visit Salem during the month of October, I highly recommend it. I had the opportunity to go a couple of years ago. That’s when I met Giles and by “met Giles,” I mean saw Giles’s tombstone and went down an internet rabbit hole to figure out why he was pressed to death.
Cocktail Inspiration
I sometimes feel as if I am being pressed to death by the weight of responsibility I shoulder in a life I have very intentionally designed. I tell myself that this is just what mid-life feels like. My kids need me, I’m building a career, I have a household to maintain, a cat to keep alive, friends I want to support and spend time with and and and… somewhere in there I’m supposed to sleep and exercise. There are many days when it feels like I’m holding it all together. There are some days when it feels like I’m in a power-pose holding all those heavy stones up in the air with a smile on my face. There are several days when I feel like I will surely be pressed to death… and on those days, I make cocktails.
This cocktail was inspired by a craving for apple cider. Like, seriously, that’s it. I just really wanted apple cider but I don’t drink juice unless it’s in a cocktail.
There’s no right or wrong place to find cocktail inspiration! Happy Halloween!
Recipe
Cocktail Ingredients (makes 2 cocktails)
3 oz bourbon (Freeland Spirits is my go-to)
1 oz Campari
3 oz apple cider
1 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
1 oz cardamom vanilla simple syrup
2-3 dashes of orange bitters
Garnish: cinnamon stick, star anise, fresh thyme, apple slice
Simple Syrup Ingredients
1 cup water
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp vanilla
Cocktail Instructions
In a cocktail shaker, mix bourbon, Campari, apple cider, lemon juice, simple syrup, ice, and shake!
Pour over ice
Garnish with a cinnamon stick and slice of apple (I tried a few different garnish options and this combination was my favorite!)
Add a few dashes of orange bitters
Enjoy!
Cardamom Simple Syrup Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil
Warm a mason jar with hot tap water so it’s ready to take on the hot syrup
Pour the hot syrup into the jar and let it cool
After the mixture comes down to room temperature (wait at least 30 minutes), pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove cardamom debris; I usually skip this step but then always wish I’d strained it!
You should now have an earthy brown syrup that’s ready to refrigerate
