Apple Pie

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Cocktail History

The Apple Pie is an autumn cocktail that was created by food writer and author Jessica Strand and was first published in Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season.

This light yet seasonal recipe uses whiskey as its base and adds warmth with allspice liqueur, honey, and a touch of vanilla. Then sparkling apple cider completes the drink, adding effervescence and crisp apple flavor that makes it ideal for autumn gatherings or holiday celebrations.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, with other grains, water, and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in new charred oak barrels to develop a rich, caramelized flavor.

Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Allspice Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with allspice berries, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended, infused, and sometimes aged to develop a warm, spiced flavor.

Sparkling Apple Cider: This is a beverage made with apple juice, water, and sugar, which are fermented or infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a fizzy, fruity flavor.

Vanilla Extract: This is a concentrated flavoring made by macerating vanilla beans in alcohol and water to develop a sweet, aromatic flavor.

Cinnamon Stick: This is a spice made from dried and rolled bark of the cinnamon tree that has a warm, sweet-spicy flavor.

Apple: This is a type of fruit grown on apple trees that has smooth red, green, or yellow skin and a mild, sweet to tart flavor.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Buffalo Trace Distillery Benchmark Bourbon
• 🔗 Monin Premium Honey Syrup
• 🔗 St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram
• 🔗 Monticello Sparkling Apple Cider
• 🔗 Simply Organic Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract
• 🔗 Simply Organic Cinnamon Sticks

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Bar Spoon: This is a long-handled spoon with a twisted shaft that’s used for stirring cocktails, layering ingredients, and reaching the bottom of tall glasses and mixing vessels.

Apple Corer: This is a handheld kitchen tool with circular blades and a center coring ring that’s used for coring and slicing apples into uniform wedges.

Highball Glass: This is a tall, slim glass that’s used for serving mixed drinks made with a larger proportion of non-alcoholic mixers.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Apple Corer, Slicer, & Divider
• 🔗 Viski Admiral Highball Glass

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Golden brown or amber color

• Aroma: Ripe apples and baking spices

• Taste: Bright and effervescent apple cider mixed with spicy whiskey notes, sweet honey, and hints of cinnamon and cloves

• Finish: Lingering baking spices

Kendall’s Take
“This fall cocktail leans confidently into apple pie territory, with its warm spice and honeyed sweetness at the forefront. In my opinion, it captures the familiar dessert flavor in a smooth, sippable format that feels right at home during fall. Seasonal, approachable, and crowd-friendly, the Apple Pie would be a cozy addition to your autumn cocktail lineup.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season by Jessica Strand.