When all the chaos of shopping, prepping and cooking for Thanksgiving is done, there’s no happier feeling for me than hearing the doorbell, as guests begin to arrive for time spent together and stories and laughter around a carefully prepared meal. At our house, that ritual includes a cocktail, and this year, mine is a tipsy, on-ice adaptation of America’s favorite pie. Care to join in?

Why have a signature cocktail for holidays?

It might seem snooty to offer a signature cocktail for a holiday gathering, but hear me out on the reason that I started doing this. When guests arrive for dinner, we are almost always heading into the final stretch of prepping, which can be hectic or even intense at our house— depending on whose year it is for the turkey (this year, it’s mine). I love to play mixologist, and our bar is well-stocked to make just about any drink you could imagine, which is kind of the problem. Rather than overwhelm our guests with dozens of choices from our bar, I have found it beneficial to offer a thoughtful signature drink— something that captures the essence of the season with broad appeal for any number of tastes— and our guests seem to agree.

What goes into an apple pie old fashioned?

An apple pie old fashioned infuses the sweet and warm flavors of cooked apples with the smoothness of bourbon, and for an extra homey touch, I’ve “fat washed” the bourbon with an embellished browned butter— a nostalgic nod to an all-butter pie crust. The cooked apple flavor in this drink comes from an apple cider syrup, which replaces the sugar cube or simple syrup that would otherwise be muddled into the cocktail.

Does all of this sound complicated or intimidating? It isn’t! But it does take some advance planning so that you have your ingredients ready to wow your guests when they arrive. Watch me break it down.

Apple pie syrup

For best results, purchase a fresh apple cider from the produce cold case, rather than a bottled version off the shelf. If you can get one from a local supplier, that’s even better! Heat the cider with a spoonful of brown sugar, the peel of a lemon and a couple of cinnamon sticks. Reducing the cider is necessary so that you get enough apple flavor without adding too much cider and over-diluting the drink. Strain out the solids, and bottle it up! This will keep in the fridge for about three weeks.

The amplified browned butter wash

For the browned butter trick, I ventured into the science of food and tried the viral recipe trick for making the most delicious browned butter ever. You might recall mention of this last autumn, when I presented the caramel apple blondies that were also made with browned butter, but with a boost. An addition of dried milk powder enhanced the toasty, nutty flavor of browned butter, and the result was just beyond. I knew when I made the blondies that I’d have to try this trick again for a fat-washed bourbon, and here we are!

I waffled a bit on whether to use salted or unsalted butter for the cocktail, and when I tasted the outcome of my efforts using unsalted butter, I knew instantly that it was the wrong choice. Salt does the same thing for a cocktail as it does for a dish, so I remedied this with a pinch of salt in the finished butter— no harm, no foul. Pour the bourbon into the jar with the cooled browned butter and give the jar a few gentle shakes. Let the mixture settle and separate, and then refrigerate overnight or up to two days.

The extra milk fat from the powdered milk, plus that hint of salt, produced a deeply addictive flavor, which I infused into my bourbon overnight and then strained out through a coffee filter the next day. By the way, do not discard that butter! As the browned butter flavors the bourbon, so the bourbon flavors the butter solids. Repurpose the butter in your sweet potato casserole or green beans amandine or anything else that would enjoy a little kick of bourbon.

It’s cocktail time!

Having the apple cider syrup and browned butter-washed bourbon ready ahead of time makes it a snap to stir up these apple pie old fashioneds when your guests arrive for cocktail hour. The drink is easy to make, combining the browned-butter washed bourbon, a splash of the spiced cider syrup and a quick dash of spiced bitters in a mixing glass with plenty of ice, then strained over a fresh ice cube and garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.

Wanna go for bonus garnish points? Balance a strip of cinnamon-dusted baked pastry dough on the edge of the glass, too. If you’re making a pie for the holiday, simply save a few strips of dough, giving them a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar before you bake to golden crispy goodness. These are best fresh; if you don’t have time, the apple and cinnamon stick will be impressive enough!

Apple Pie Old Fashioned Cocktail

• Servings: 1
• Prep Time: at least one day ahead
• Difficulty: Average
• Print

This cocktail requires some advance planning to prepare a cider syrup and browned butter-washed bourbon, but you can believe it's worth the trouble!

Ingredients

• 2 oz. browned butter-washed bourbon (description below)
• 3/4 oz. spiced cider syrup (instructions below)
• a quick shake of cocktail bitters (cinnamon, cardamom or ginger work nicely)
• big square ice cube
• cinnamon sticks, fresh apple slices and sugared pie crust for garnish

Directions

1. Combine bourbon, syrup and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass or shaker. Add one cup of ice and stir for about 20 seconds. Strain over a large ice in a double rocks glass.
2. Garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick, plus a baked strip of sugared pie crust if desired.

Make the browned butter-washed bourbon ahead of time. Use salted butter for best results, and consider using whole fat dried milk powder if you can find it. The washed bourbon will keep for several weeks in the fridge, and you can repurpose the butter solids in a dessert or sweet potato casserole.

Directions

1. Melt one stick (8 Tbsp.) butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble and froth, quickly whisk in a tablespoon of dry milk powder and whisk constantly until the froth dies down and the milk solids take on a caramel color. Remove from heat immediately and pour the hot butter into a large glass jar to cool.
2. Pour two cups bourbon into the jar of cooled browned butter, cap it and give it a few gentle shakes. Allow it to settle and separate, and then put it in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Spoon out the butter solids and strain the bourbon through a coffee filter-lined strainer or pour-over device. Bottle the washed bourbon and keep refrigerated until ready to use. This is enough for eight cocktails.

Make the apple cider syrup ahead of time as well. For best results, use fresh-pressed apple cider from a farm stand or the produce department rather than bottled from the juice aisle.

Directions

1. Pour 2 cups apple cider into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the thin peel of an organic lemon (none of the white pith, and wash it first!), and two or three pieces of cinnamon stick.
2. Bring the mixture to a slight boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar until dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool before straining out the lemon peel and cinnamon sticks. Transfer to a bottle and refrigerate up to three weeks. This makes enough syrup for at least eight cocktails.