Cabin Fever: roasted apple, lapsang, spruce and tonic

Lapsang puts real smoke in a glass. The plate has to be salty and firm or it reads as a campfire nobody is watching.

This is the no-alcohol pour. Serve it in the same glass as the cocktail.

Shrub a month, better the first week. Tea three days. Mixed base a day. Tonic per glass.

• Roasted-apple shrub12 oz
• Chilled lapsang souchong12 oz
• Fresh lemon juice4 oz
• Spruce-tip syrup2 oz
• Dry tonic1 lb

Multiplying the ingredients is the easy half. These are the parts of the recipe that the batch count does not move.

Cooking time

25 minutes in the oven, whatever fraction of the tray is filled. A half-full tray browns faster, so look at it sooner rather than trusting the clock.

1. Read the whole method before you shop. This is a planning recipe for cabin fever: roasted apple, lapsang, spruce and tonic, not a certified kitchen test.
2. Amounts below are one batch: 8 portions. Build a plan and this card scales itself to it.
3. This dish can be completed up to 1 day ahead. Cold storage is the real limit — do not make it ahead if the fridge is already tight.
4. No heat. Assemble from cold ingredients. Keep covered until service.
5. Hold time is short (10 min). Finish close to service. Do not guess a longer hold.
6. Drink pairing: This is the no-alcohol pour. Serve it in the same glass as the cocktail.
7. Leftover route: Shrub a month, better the first week. Tea three days. Mixed base a day. Tonic per glass.
8. Confirm every ingredient and every allergen yourself. Dietary tags are planning filters, not safety guarantees.