Red Cocktail | Taylor Swift Eras Cocktail Collection

No other album perfectly embodies a season like Taylor Swift’s Red embodies autumn. Through not only the imagery in her lyrics (falling leaves, cozy scarves, coffee in cafes) but the production of the songs themselves, Red has always made me feel like bundling up in a sweater and driving with the windows down on a brisk fall day. I knew the Red cocktail was going to be autumn-inspired, and I wanted it to be simple and comforting to match the overall sound of this album. For me, no drink is more comforting than a cup of warm mulled wine, so the cocktail grew naturally from there. The album also feels like a turning point, both in Taylor’s musicality and in life; it’s the calm before the storm, a quiet reckoning. She tells stories of unimaginable heartbreaks, but also that you can pick up the pieces and start again. It’s poignant and powerful and proves that a song doesn’t have to be over the top to have meaning. Sometimes the most impactful is the most unassuming.

Ingredients:

1 oz spiced rum

2 oz mulled wine (red wine, cinnamon sticks, maple syrup, cardamom, nutmeg)

apple cider to top

cinnamon sticks to garnish

star anise to garnish

apple slices to garnish

Combine all liquids in glass with ice and stir. add apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and star anise to garnish. Can be served warm as well.