The first notes fall like offhanded spots of rain, barely there. Little chords go almost unnoticed til a verse descends and Nina Simone, lush with tone, floats her voice across us like a sky filling up with weather. She rises, falls to a hush, then gathers once more, pulling us into the storm. Her piano cascades in shimmering glissandos, her voice curves up like an arched back to the sky, almost shaking, til she collapses and we collapse, too, entwined and exhausted from the rush.

When seasons shift and cold winds blow, here’s a perfect cocktail to weather the storm…

WILD IS THE WIND:

•  1 ½ oz. applejack
• ½ oz. sweet vermouth
• ½ oz. lemon juice
• ½ oz. grenadine
• dashes of Angostura bitters
• a pinch of ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients except the cinnamon in a shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and float the cinnamon on top.