Apple Pie Old Fashioned

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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.

This spiced apple cider syrup can be used in other cocktails, too.

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!

As if regular browned butter isn’t delicious enough? This is way over the top!

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.

To clarify, there is no honey in this. I couldn’t get the label off the jar!

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.

Scoop out the cold, hardened butter and strain the bourbon through a coffee filter.
Be patient, this takes time.

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.

I love smoked cinnamon bitters here, but ginger or cardamom work great, too.

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
  • Difficulty: Average
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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.

Sparkling Fresh Cranberry-Ginger Cosmo

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I know I promised you a cocktail before Thanksgiving, and I should know by now that late November is not the time to make promises I might not be able to keep. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Better late than never, and it’s all good because what I’m about to share with you could be the holiday miracle your entertaining plans have been waiting for. This drink became an accidental star at our Thanksgiving happy hour, and the great news is that its seasonal flavors and fancy presentation make it perfect for all the holidays coming up. 

I found this inspiration quite unexpectedly while scrolling Instagram in the wee hours, as I am wont to do. A few days before Thanksgiving, Food Network had posted a slideshow of recipes offered by its celeb chefs. There were variations on casseroles and desserts and—oh, who am I kidding? I have no idea what else was in the photo carousel because the fresh cranberry cosmo stopped me dead in my tracks. The ingredient list was simple, the technique brilliant and the drink divine.

Cheers, Christmas!

It was star chef Alton Brown who presented the formula for the cranberry granita that is the base of this stunning, neon-colored drink, and the granita itself could be served as a palate cleanser or even a light dessert after a rich holiday meal. His granita was made by simmering fresh cranberries, sugar and lime zest in a fair amount of water, and then blending, straining and freezing. Later, he used a fork to shred the icy mixture into a substance not unlike a snow-cone. That granita mixture is then shaken with vodka and fresh lime juice— no additional ice necessary— and strained into a martini glass for the brightest, freshest seasonal cocktail I’ve ever enjoyed. 

Of course, I couldn’t leave it at that (do ya know me?), and Alton himself is partly to blame for my tendency to twist a classic. During the early aughts, I hardly missed an episode of his “Good Eats” program on Food Network, and that was unquestionably when I became fascinated with the science of food and drink, inspiring me to push the culinary boundaries in my own kitchen. So, Alton, I’ll see your cranberry granita and I’ll raise you some crystallized ginger and orange zest. Because, Christmas. 🎁

Cranberry, ginger, citrus. It even smells like the holidays!

You don’t want to know how many spoons I used tasting this stuff along the way, nor how many sample cosmos I made for myself, just to be sure I wasn’t imagining how good it was. The cranberry-ginger granita is equally tart and sweet, and my mind is still racing with possibilities for drinks beyond this festive cosmo. Imagine swapping the vodka for blanco tequila— instant Christmas margarita! Or substitute white rum for a cranberry-ginger daiquiri. Seriously, can anyone give me one reason not to mix it with gin and lemon and top it with champagne for a cranberry-ginger French 75? Could this be the little black dress of the holiday cocktail season?

For that matter, I should also be able to sub something non-alcoholic for a tasty mocktail to delight non-drinkers at my party, right? I did that for one of our Thanksgiving guests, and I guarantee you can’t tell which of these glasses held the zero-proof drink. She said it was delicious.

I’ll give you a hint: it wasn’t mine. 😂

Making this sparkling fresh cranberry-ginger cosmo couldn’t be easier, and I’ll also share my tips for the mocktail in the click-to-print recipe card you’ll find at the bottom of the post. Start by making the granita a few days before you plan to entertain, and wash up several fresh limes so they are ready for happy hour. Plan on one lime for every two drinks; you’ll use the juice in the drinks and a strip of zest for garnish. And for a little extra holiday pizzazz, pick up a four-pack of blood orange ginger beer to top off your cocktails with a sparkly finish. Chill your cocktail glasses while you mix, and use a fine mesh strainer if you don’t want little bits of zest floating in your glass.

A channel knife is great for making a zest strip.
Otherwise, use a potato peeler and trim with a sharp knife.

Sparkling Fresh Cranberry Cosmo

  • Servings: 1 cocktail
  • Difficulty: Easy
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This gorgeous holiday drink uses a make-ahead cranberry-ginger granita that is so delicious, you'll want to use it in other drinks, too!


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. Ketel One (or other premium) vodka
  • 2 1/2 oz. cranberry-ginger granita (recipe follows)
  • 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 oz. Fever Tree blood orange ginger beer (or regular ginger beer, if desired)
  • lime zest twist to garnish

Notes: Make the cranberry-ginger granita ahead of time, and transfer to airtight containers in your freezer for safekeeping. I recommend using a fine-mesh strainer when pouring the drink into the glass, unless you’re OK with having the zest bits floating in the drink.

For an easy mocktail, swap in Simply Lemonade for the vodka, use 1/4 oz. lime juice and increase the ginger beer a bit. When making both alcohol and non-alcohol drinks for party guests, consider using two separate shakers to avoid mixups and in-between cleanings.

Directions

  1. Chill cocktail glass with ice water, or place in freezer 20 minutes before mixing the drinks.
  2. Measure vodka, granita and lime juice into a shaker. Cover and shake the shake out of it until the thing is too frosty to hold comfortably. The granita will melt with the other ingredients, so no ice is required for this step.
  3. Strain into the glass, top off with ginger beer and garnish with the lime strip.

Notes: The cranberry-ginger granita will be enough for about 20 cocktails. Make it ahead and keep it in the freezer so it’s ready for all the holidays.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 2 1/4 cups fresh whole cranberries
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
  • 2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
  • Zest of one lime and half an orange (organic is best and washed thoroughly)

Directions


1. Combine water, cranberries, sugar and ginger in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer for several minutes until the berries soften and split. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
2. Transfer cranberry mixture to a blender (remove vent cover) or use an immersion blender to puree the mixture into a slurry. Pour through a mesh strainer into an oblong, shallow pan. I used a silicone scraper to gently move the puree back and forth on the strainer surface, as the pectin from the berries was quite heavy.
3. Stir in the citrus zest. Cover with plastic wrap and place the pan flat in the freezer for several hours until solid (overnight is fine).
4. Use a fork to scrape the surface of the mixture until you have multiple layers of icy granita. Note that the mixture will likely clump as it refreezes. If you want it to be uniform consistency for cocktail hour, transfer it to a food processor and pulse a few times.

Directions


Pomegranate-Amaretto Holiday Spritz

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In all my working days— even those that I spent pitching in for a catering company— I never had a work assignment that involved developing a cocktail. Until now!

The second half of this year has been a wild ride for me, as I assumed a management role of sorts in the company where I’ve been working for the past decade. I’ve been busy since July learning new processes and data systems, tackling the billing records and helping other departments in our parent company learn more about my lesser-known branch of the business. It’s been exciting, exhausting and rewarding all at once.

With these new responsibilities came introduction to new people in the company, including my new direct supervisor, John. We’ve only met online, as he is based in northern California and I’m in central North Carolina, but we connect regularly for one-on-one updates, and he perked up in one of our early, get-acquainted conversations when he learned that I do a food blog. At the end of each monthly meeting, we usually squeeze in a little banter about the most interesting thing I’ve been cooking or shaking up that month. The rest of the department has not met me, though, and I’m told that John has been subject to some teasing by the team. They call me his “imaginary friend!” 😂

That will change this afternoon when I join an online holiday-themed meeting with the whole gang. To help with introductions, John gave me an assignment— spend a few minutes describing my branch of the business, and a few more minutes instructing the team in making a holiday cocktail. So it’s true— my reputation as an amateur mixologist precedes me. I’m good with that!

This cocktail even looks like Christmas!

The drink I’ve prepared is a fun and festive twist on a classic Italian Spritz, and I chose this approach for a few reasons:

  • It’s easy, made with widely available ingredients for a global audience.
  • It’s a good balanced drink— not too sweet or strong.
  • You don’t need fancy bartender tools, as this drink is built right in the glass.
  • It’s simple to sub in lighter ingredients for an alcohol-free version that is every bit as festive and sure to please the non-drinkers at your holiday gatherings.

So, what’s in this cocktail?

The almond and pomegranate flavors give a traditional Spritz a holiday flair.

The flavors in my Spritz are seasonal— tart pomegranate and sweet almond— paired with Aperol, the slightly bitter Italian aperitivo that hits the taste buds like a marriage of grapefruit peel and orange LifeSavers candy. If you are already a fan of Aperol, you’ll love this drink. If Aperol feels a little too bitter for you, then you’ll appreciate the way the amaretto and pomegranate calm it down. Vodka is the primary spirit of the drink, but if you want something lighter, the drink won’t suffer without it.

Don’t forget to garnish! A few pomegranate arils and a slice of orange in the glass will dress it up beautifully for the holidays and make a great impression! You know that I’m obsessed with fancy ice, too, and here I’ve found an easy way to make them extra festive, with orange slices, whole cranberries and a rosemary sprig frozen inside! My ice mold is made by True Cubes, but this trick should work with any silicone ice mold.

Don’t underestimate the wow factor of a thoughtful garnish!

Finally, this drink is topped off with sparkling water or seltzer because everything feels fancier with bubbles. If you’re in the mood for a stronger topper, go with Prosecco, as with the classic Spritz. I personally think it’s just right with seltzer, especially one flavored with blood orange. 😋

Can I get a no-booze version of this pretty drink?

Absolutely! The great thing about a drink made with fruit flavors is that it’s very adaptable to a no-alcohol or “zero proof” version. 

This drink received rave reviews from non-drinkers at our house!

To maintain the good balance of sweet, tart and bitter, I’ll shift the ratio of ingredients slightly. Use non-alcoholic orange bitters to replace the Aperol and orgeat, an almond cordial syrup, as a stand-in for the sweetness of Amaretto. Freshly squeezed citrus is perfect here, and the pomegranate juice brings a little tartness. There’s no need to “replace” the vodka, which doesn’t have much flavor on its own. But if you’d like a little bite or tingle on the tongue, I have a trick for that, too. Tonic water!

The same flavors, but rearranged for a zero-ABV drink.

These alcohol-free ingredients are easy to find online or in the mixers section of a larger supermarket. You might also amp up the bitter orange flavor by crushing a piece of orange peel in the bottom of the glass. To give the drink a little “bite’ that you would otherwise have in a spirited cocktail, top it off with tonic water rather than seltzer.

Cheers!

For your holiday enjoyment, two click-to-print recipe cards are available below, one for each version of my holiday Spritz. For readers abroad, I’ve estimated the measure amounts in milliliters. Feel free to adjust to taste!

Pomegranate-Amaretto Holiday Spritz

  • Servings: 1 cocktail
  • Difficulty: Easy
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This cocktail is a festive, seasonal twist on a classic Aperol Spritz. The drink can be built right in the glass, and a garnish of fresh fruit is a beautiful finish!


Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz vodka (40ml)
  • 1 oz Aperol (25ml)
  • .5 oz pure pomegranate juice (15ml)
  • .25 oz amaretto or other nut liqueur (10ml)
  • 2 oz. seltzer (or Prosecco, for a stronger drink)(50ml)
  • Pomegranate arils and fresh orange slice for garnish

Note: Hazelnut or pistachio liqueur would be an interesting substitute for the amaretto in this cocktail. If nut allergies are a concern, consider adding something with a touch of vanilla or ginger for an extra little something.

Directions

  1. Measure vodka, Aperol, pomegranate juice and amaretto into a large cocktail or wine glass. Stir gently to mix.
  2. Add ice and top off the drink with seltzer. Give it a quick little stir to activate the bubbles. Add garnish as desired.

No-alcohol Pomegranate-Almond Holiday Spritz

  • Servings: 1 drink
  • Difficulty: Easy
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The seasonal flavors of pomegranate and almond give this drink a festive feel without any of the consequences of alcohol! Look for orgeat and alcohol-free orange bitters online or in the mixers section of a larger supermarket.


Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice (40ml)
  • .75 oz. pomegranate juice (20ml)
  • .25 oz. orgeat (almond cordial syrup)(10ml)
  • .25 oz. non-alcoholic blood orange bitters (10ml)
  • 2 oz. seltzer (or tonic water, for a drink with more “bite”)(50ml)
  • Pomegranate arils and fresh orange slice for garnish

Note: If you cannot find the orgeat, consider using almond syrup, similar to what is used in fancy coffee shops. In a pinch, you can replicate the orange bitters by crushing a piece of fresh orange peel in the bottom of the glass before mixing the other ingredients.

Directions

  1. Measure orange juice, pomegranate juice, orgeat and bitters into a large cocktail or wine glass. Stir gently to mix.
  2. Add ice and top off the drink with seltzer or tonic water. Give it a quick little stir to activate the bubbles. Add garnish as desired.