PHOTO: Caramel Apple Marinini; (inset) Clark’s Seafood & Chophouse General Manager, Dustin Johnson.

Besides the million-dollar view of the Coquina Harbor waterfront in Little River, Clark’s Seafood & Chophouse serves dishes from an inventive and varied menu, has a daily happy hour from 4:30–6:30 p.m., and offers creative specialty drinks, including the Caramel Apple Martini.

“We wanted something we could serve year-round, but that also had a seasonal appeal for the fall and winter,” said general manager Dustin Johansen. “When our chef revamped the [food] menu, we decided we wanted to update the bar menu, too,” he continued, and thus was born the Caramel Apple Martini. A sister property to The Boundary House in Calabash, Clark’s completely remodeled the former Umberto’s in 2012, adding rich, dark wood interiors on multiple levels and dramatically expanding its mostly covered outdoor deck. There’s plenty of indoor seating, lots of large windows and two bars (one in and one out) to serve big crowds.

The upscale but casual restaurant’s Caramel Apple Martini has all the flavors of the fall: caramel, apples, butter, brown sugar and butterscotch, creating a tart and buttery drink that’s not too sweet, yet might feel like dessert. We recommend you sample one directly from the source, but if you’re so inclined, here’s how you can make one at home.

Caramel Apple Martini

Chill a martini glass in ice water, then in a shaker filled with ice add:

1.5 ounces Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka
1 ounce DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker
1/2 ounce DeKuyper Buttershots Butterscotch

Drizzle good quality caramel sauce inside the dried, chilled martini glass, then strain contents of shaker into glass and enjoy!