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Cocktail History
The Humble Pie is an autumn cocktail that was created by bartender Sean Hoard in Portland and was first published in a 2021 issue of Imbibe magazine. Meant to be an interpretation of the ingredients used to make filling for the classic apple pie that’s usually served around the holidays, the recipe mixes equal-parts apple brandy and Scotch whisky with ginger and brown sugar syrups, allspice liqueur, aromatic bitters, and pepper to amazing effect.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with apples, pears, spices, sugar, and alcohol. I used Calvados.
Blended Scotch: This is a type of Scotch whisky that combines multiple single malt whiskies made with malted barley, yeast, and water. I used The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky.
Ginger Syrup: This is a sweetener made with ginger, white sugar, gum arabic powder, and water. I made mine at home using this sous vide recipe.
Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with demerara sugar and water. I made mine at home using this stovetop recipe.
Allspice Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with allspice berries, spices, sugar, and rum. I used St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Aromatic Bitters.
Black Pepper: This is a seasoning. I used Simply Organic Whole Black Peppercorns.
Candied Ginger: This is a slice of dried ginger root that has been rolled in sugar.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. I used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. I used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
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Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Orange-brown color
• Aroma: Apple and Scotch
• Taste: Sugary sweet flavor with malty Scotch at first followed by tart apple and spicy ginger
• Finish: A lingering and pleasant burn of ginger, allspice, and pepper
Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kendall’s Take: “I don’t think I’ve ever had a drink that mimicked the flavor of a pie filling quite as well as this one does. I’m actually not big on apple pie because I don’t care for the texture of warm apples, but I would absolutely consume it in cocktail form. I think there might have been a touch too much ginger burn in this one, but that aside, the Humble Pie is a really great recipe. I can see why it’s a must-try for fall.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from an issue of Imbibe magazine.
Humble Pie
The Humble Pie is an autumn cocktail that was created by bartender Sean Hoard in Portland and was first published in a 2021 issue of Imbibe magazine. Meant to be an interpretation of the ingredients used to make filling for the classic apple pie usually served around the holidays, the recipe mixes equal-parts apple brandy and Scotch whisky with ginger and brown sugar syrups, allspice liqueur, aromatic bitters, and pepper to amazing effect.
Ingredients
Method
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Add apple brandy, whisky, ginger syrup, demerara syrup, allspice liqueur, bitters, black pepper, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
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Stir for 30-45 seconds.
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Strain into a lowball glass over fresh cubed ice.
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Garnish with candied ginger.
