Pumpkin Cider

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Cocktail History

The Pumpkin Cider is an autumn cocktail that was created by bar manager and author Nick Mautone and was first published in his book The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails. It mixes a brandy and rum base with apple cider, fresh pumpkin, and baking spices to create a warm batch drink that’s great for fireside or holiday party sipping.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with fermented apple juice and yeast, which is distilled and aged to develop a smooth, fruity flavor.

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then aged, often in charred barrels, to develop a full-bodied, caramelized flavor.

Apple Cider: This is a beverage made with fresh-pressed apple juice that’s typically unfiltered to produce a sweet, slightly tangy fruit flavor.

Pumpkin Cubes: This the flesh of a pumpkin that has been cut into a cube shape.

Butter: This is a dairy product made by churning cream to separate the fat to develop a smooth texture and rich, creamy flavor.

White Sugar: This is a sweetener made with refined sugar that has a soft, fine texture and clean, sweet flavor.

Whole Cloves: This is a spice made from the flower buds from the clove tree, which are dried for their strong, slightly sweet-spicy flavor.

Star Anise: This is a spice made from the fruit of an evergreen tree, which is dried for its strong, licorice-like flavor.

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

Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seeds of the nutmeg tree, which are dried and grated for their warm, aromatic flavor.

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.

Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut the pumpkin into cubes. I used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

Saucepan: This is used to warm the ingredients. I used the Cuisinart 3-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan with Cover.

Spoon: This is used to stir the ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spoon.

Ladle: This is used to transfer the drink to cups. I used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle.

Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. I used the OXO Good Grips Grater.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Brown-ish orange color

• Aroma: Apple and baking spices

• Taste: Strong Apple cider flavor with notes of pumpkin, rum spices, and spices

• Finish: More tangy apple and rum

Kendall’s Take: “The Pumpkin Cider is everything you’d want in a boozy batch party drink during the autumn season. It tastes just as you’d expect—like a spiced apple cider with pumpkin. Its warmth is also cozy and would be absolutely delicious on a chilly fall day, maybe after a long walk on the trails looking at the changing leaves or after some trick-or-treating. Definitely worth making each year, I’d say!”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails by Nick Mautone.