Oh my goodness.  I stumbled on something.  Pumpkin water.

Water.  Only the complete essence of pumpkin.  Much like tomato water.  Only pumpkiny-er.  Obviously.

I just knew this would make a good cocktail addition.  And of course, my friend Molly completely helped me in sussing out some ingredients.  Because she’s totally good at it.  And she knows all about cocktails.  And does stuff for these guys.

So this cocktail is entirely inspired by the season, what I had around (I was roasting a pumpkin for a pie, y’all, and had this left over), the Ohio seasons, and our recent trip back to New Jersey, our former home.

The Rum Whitfield, makes one

1.5 oz. spiced pumpkin water* (**)

1.5 oz spiced rum (I used The Kraken Black Spiced Rum)

.75 oz vermouth (I used Noily Prat)

1 t homemade marachino cherry liquid

2 dashes angostura bitters

1 or 2 maraschino cherries for garnish, preferably homemade with this recipe, preferably made by your brilliant friend Kate, or perhaps you have a few of these lying around? (ahem, @Soko68)

In a cocktail shaker, combine crushed ice with the pumpkin water, rum, vermouth, cherry juice, and bitters.

Strain into a lowball glass, garnish with a cherry or two.

*Pumpkin Water – When roasting a pumpkin, I often find mine needs straining to be a dense flesh for a pie or bread.  I press and strain roasted pumpkin through a fine mesh strainer and reserve the water in a ball jar.  After a day or two in the fridge, the water rises to the top.  Carefully pour this water into a sauce pan (in my case it was about 2/3 cup) and add three teaspoons of brown sugar, 6-8 crushed coriander seeds, a star anise, a cinnamon stick and two whole allspice berries.  Simmer for ten minutes or so, reducing to about 1/2 cup.  Chill the spiced pumpkin water, either quickly, over a bowl full of ice, or in the fridge.

** Psst – You could  skip spicing/reducing/sugaring the pumpkin water altogether for a more pronounced pumpkin cocktail.  And one that you could make much faster, you lush.

Playlist included my favorite song right now Midnight City by what I think has to be my favorite band, at least for now, M83.