Leisure

Fall Harvest

The theme of Julep this month is health, so the idea was to come up with a healthier julep. The problem is that your basic julep isn't particularly unhealthy.

Start with whiskey. The name comes from a Gaelic phrase meaning "water of life." What could be healthier than the water of life (assuming you are at least 21)?

Add water, the source of earthly life, and mint, a medicinal herb. "Minty fresh" is synonymous with clean and healthy.

The only thing arguably unhealthy in a standard mint julep is the sugar used to make the simple syrup. So no sugar.

Instead, we turn to the sweetener your mother always used when you were sick: honey. And what goes with honey in the fall? Apples.

Apples and honey could make a healthier julep, but we want to be sure to take that extra step. Cranberry juice is chock-full of vitamins and minerals —just ask Ocean Spray —so why not?

The result is a drink unique among our juleps. Juice instead of water. Honey instead of sugar. Apples instead of mint. It's perfect for toasting the new year at Rosh Hashanah, breaking the fast with friends after Yom Kippur, sipping under the stars in a sukkah or just making good use of fall's bounty in a healthier way than apple cakes and apple pies. By the time you finish this julep, you're guaranteed to feel happy, and for our purposes, happy equals healthy.

This is a festive drink, so the recipe makes four healthy servings. If you're drinking alone, you can keep the leftover servings refrigerated for a week.

Cranapple and Honey Julep

• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 medium apple
• ¨ö cup bourbon
• 2 tablespoons honey

Bring the cranberry juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Slice the apple and add to the boiling juice. Boil the juice-apple mixture for three minutes. While the mixture is hot, pour 6 tablespoons of it into a metal or plastic cup. Be careful not to get any apple bits in the cup. Drizzle the honey into the hot cranapple mixture and mix well. Add the bourbon and mix thoroughly, then drop in enough ice to chill the whole thing. Drink to your health.