I Made You a Thanksgiving Cocktail: Cherry Pie Sour

We don’t always think of cocktails and Thanksgiving as being an obvious match. In many cases, if you’re drinking on Thanksgiving (and I hope you are, responsibly), you’re probably drinking wine, as its lower alcohol content makes it easier to sip throughout the day without winding up too tipsy for turkey.

But cocktails definitely have a place at least somewhere in the day. A lower-octane aperitif like a sherry-based cocktail or a spritz would be a great match with appetizers, and if there’s a happier pairing than mixed drinks and pie, well, friends, I can’t imagine what that might be.

Pie + Cocktails = <3

Having pumpkin pie? Something with allspice dram would be delicious with pumpkin or sweet potato pie—the Lion’s Tale gets my vote, especially as its backbone of lime juice helps it balance out the sweetness and richness of the pie.

Going the pecan route? Bourbon is an obvious candidate. A smooth one neat or as the base spirit in a highball would be delicious, as would a bourbon Manhattan with pecan or chocolate bitters instead of the traditional Angostura.

But it’s definitely fruit pies that are my favorites, and they’re what inspired the cocktail I created this evening: the Cherry Pie Sour.

Cherry Pie Sours, ready to make your Thanksgiving dessert even better.

A Whole World of Sours

Most of us think “whiskey” when we think “sour,” but you can use pretty much any spirit in a sour. (After all, what’s a Margarita but a tequila sour, and what’s a Gimlet but the same idea with gin?) Mix a spirit, acid (citrus), and sweet, and you’ve got yourself a sour.

Inspired by the sour’s flexibility, I riffed on the classic whiskey sour, subbing half of the whiskey (rye, in my recipe) with Cherry Heering, replacing lemon juice with lime (lime + cherry are a happier pairing in my book), and ramping down the simple syrup a bit due to the sweetness of the Heering.

I ended up with an easy-sipping drink with a nice sweet/sour balance (just like a good fruit pie), an interesting undercurrent of rye (as a stand-in for pie crust, kinda), and a fetching deep-red hue.

The basic template here is super flexible: use a different kind of brandy (Calvados, applejack, pear…) if you’ve got a different kind of pie. Mix and match the citrus. Use an infused simple syrup for an extra layer of complexity. Add egg white if you like your sours richer. Make this cocktail your own.

And if, like me, one of your Thanksgiving pleasures is eating pie for breakfast the next day, mix one of these up, serve it on the rocks with some club soda to lighten it up a bit, and raise a glass to all you have to be thankful for.

Cherry Pie Sour

Makes 1 drink

1 oz. rye whiskey

1 oz. cherry brandy (I used Cherry Heering)

1 oz. lime juice (use lemon or half and half if you prefer)

3/4 oz. simple syrup

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Enjoy with pie.

Fall Cocktails Call for Fall Glassware

Picture me doing that thing from an old-school cartoon where I go down for a nap, wake up "a few minutes" later, rub the sleep from my eyes, and realize months have passed. That has basically been me this week, slowly coming to the dawning realization that it's late OCTOBER, people, but HOW?! (Also, not so much napping has transpired, alas, though I could sure use some.)

But OK: here were are. Even the Bay Area, which has been clinging hard to summer this year, has given up and started the slide into fall, complete with plunging temps, tumbling leaves, and changes in the light that are both beautiful and a li'l depressing. So let's celebrate the season with some autumnal cocktails, shall we, and some autumnal barware to go along with them.

Cider time!

Pretty much every year, I vow I'll go apple picking, despite the fact that that invariably devolves into "Maybe just picking up some apples from the farmers' market, ha ha...ha. Ha?" But this sweet apple-bedecked set inspires me to pretend that I've spent an afternoon in a sun-dappled orchard. 

Use them for: something that screams APPLES, like Freutcake's Bourbon Maple Apple Cider.

Leaves get the fancy treatment

Back in the day, Libbey made dozens of different types of glasses in this charming-but-classy Golden Foliage pattern. Chances are good your grandparents had Golden Foliage glasses, or maybe your aunt and uncle who always seemed ready to throw a party, or possibly that kindly neighbor who waved you inside from raking leaves to serve you a slice of something sweet and a glug of apple juice in a leaf-bedecked tumbler.

It's your turn now to carry on the Golden Foliage tradition. Why not start with this lovely set?

Use them for: cocktails in other fall hues that play off the warm gold and frosty white, like this gorgeous ruby Pomegranate Bourbon Cocktail from Kelly Carambula.

Harvest time!

Apples are not the only fruit that come on the scene full force in autumn, and dammit, it's time some of those other fruits got their due. Enter these elegant tall glasses, which let pears, grapes, and lemons take the spotlight in gorgeous gold and black, backed by white leaves. Step aside, apples.

Use them for: cocktails or mocktails based on Clean Eating's Vanilla Pear Shrub. Add club soda or ginger beer to keep things booze free; throw in a splash of aged rum or rye to spike it.

You'll find more sweet fall-themed glasses in my shop (along with some spring stuff, if you're a friend in the Southern Hemisphere). Have a favorite seasonal cocktail? Leave a comment and fill me in. 

Bourbon, a Most American of Tipples

Happy 4th of July!

While there are plenty of worthy drinks with which to celebrate Independence Day today—my hat's off to the hundreds of amazing microbrews, wines, and spirits produced in the U.S.—my vote would be for bourbon.

By law, only American whiskey made of at least 51% corn mash can be called bourbon. There can be (and definitely are) excellent whiskies from around the world, but there can't be Japanese, Canadian, or Scottish bourbon. This spirit is uniquely ours.

(That old saw about how bourbon must be from Kentucky? Not true. For a long time, Kentucky was home to many of the largest bourbon distilleries, and it still produces a phenomenal amount of the stuff, but bourbon made in Colorado is just as much bourbon as the liquid gold that comes from the Bluegrass State.)

There are, of course, endless ways to enjoy bourbon, but in the spirit of keeping things simple on this holiday so you can spend more time with family and friends (or, hey, more time lounging around in your pj's—no judgement!), I'd like to offer two deliciously straightforward recommendations: the Boulevardier and the Gold Rush.

Boulevardier

A riff on the classic Negroni, the Boulevardier swaps out gin and replaces it with bourbon for a drink that's a little smoother, a little less herbaceous, and 100% sippable. With its equal parts, the Boulevardier is my favorite kind of drink, as it doesn't require allocating space in my brain for memorizing measurements or ratios.

Shake 1 ounce each bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth over ice, strain into a coupe glass, and raise a toast to the U.S. of A.

Gold Rush

Gold Rush cocktails with Gold West the board game make for a fun old-time California evening.

What sounds like a classic from the days when bartenders sported wax mustaches and arm garters the first time around (that is, the early 1900s) was in fact created by T.J. Siegal for the New York bar Milk & Honey in the mid-2000s. The Gold Rush is another riff on a classic—in this case, the Bee's Knees—and another example of what happens when you replace gin with bourbon. (No hard feelings, gin!)

While there's a bit more effort here—you need to make honey syrup, which basically involves heating equal parts honey and water until the honey melts, and then letting the mixture cool—it's well worth it. The Gold Rush is not only a delicious and refreshing summer drink, it's also easily batchable, so mix up a bunch and enjoy them while watching the skies light up tonight.

3/4 oz. honey syrup (see above)

3/4 oz. lemon juice (fresh squeezed, of course)

2 oz. bourbon

Shake all ingredients with ice and serve over ice in a rocks/Old Fashioned glass with a lemon twist.

Here's to you, bourbon, pride of a nation!

My 2017 Cocktail Resolutions, Part 2: Going Beyond Bourbon

Though my home bar sports a few dozen different bottles—whiskeys, gins, vodkas, brandies, amari, and on down the line—I fully admit that the ones that get emptied fastest are the bourbons (and sometimes the ryes). I make no bones about American whiskey being my spirit of choice, and my knee-jerk cocktail is often bound to be a whiskey sour, a Paper Plane, or a Manhattan.

But woman cannot live on whiskey alone, so my second cocktail resolution this year was to challenge myself to branch out a bit and turn to other types of booze when mixing drinks.

Into Brandyland

As part of my efforts to learn more about brandy (so I could share that knowledge with all of you, natch), I spent some time in that world in February and March, so much of my branching out happened in that particular family tree.

There were Sidecars, of course, and they were predictably delicious, but I also went a bit farther afield.

The Saratoga cocktail from Julie Reiner's The New Cocktail Hour

So, yes: the Saratoga from The New Cocktail Hour by Julie Reiner does in fact have rye in it, but it also has cognac, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters, so I'm totally counting it in my not-just-American-whiskey tally, especially since it was delicious. (I'm sure these charming pressed glass Nick and Nora glasses enhanced the taste even more.)

Andrew Friedman's Bardstown

Next up was the Bardstown cocktail from Seattle bartender and bar owner Andrew Friedman. I picked this one while flipping through the book West Coast Libations because, let me be honest here, it was the drink that required the least effort (no infusions, no emulsions, no special syrups), and for which I had all the ingredients on hand. 

Was one of those ingredients rye? Yes. Yes, it was. You might sense a theme here. But what if I defend myself by noting that this beauty also has applejack, and thus fits with the whole brandy theme?  (Bonus: I served it in one of these classic "bamboo stem" coupes.)

Bardstown

By Andrew Friedman of Liberty Bar, Seattle; from West Coast Libations by Ted Munat

2 oz. Rittenhouse 100-proof rye

1 oz. Laird's applejack

1/2 oz. Cointreau

1 dash orange bitters

1 dash Angostura bitters

Long orange twist, for garnish

Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the orange twist.

The A.J. cocktail: just crazy enough to work

I wrapped up my time in Brandytown with a cocktail called the A.J., from Mittie Hellmich's Ultimate Bar Book. The A.J. combines applejack, grapefruit juice, and grenadine, and, on paper, looks suspect at best. (Applejack and grapefruit??) But friends, somehow it works.

Last Stop: Campari

I wish I could tell you that beyond my tinkering with various brandies I got into some truly creative stuff, and finally figured out what to do with that bottle of Ramazzotti, or that crazy-ass coca leaf liqueur my friend Rob gave me for my birthday back in, um, 2011, or that rhubarb liqueur that's been all but untouched for years now. 

In fact, I did none of those things. But I did keep putzing around.

Tequila, let's do this.

On one of the coldest nights we had all winter (yes, that's a relative measure in Northern California, but still), I dusted off my bottle of silver tequila, squeezed a grapefruit, and made Palomas. Tequila is a spirit that has never excited me (and sorry, mezcal, but smoky just isn't my thing), but in the Paloma, I can start to see its appeal.

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day a la Dale DeGroff

St. Patrick's Day here at In Our Cups world HQ involved not green beer (or, in fact, any beer) or terrible shots, but instead a round of Wild Irish Roses, Dale DeGroff's take on the Jack Rose, which subs Irish whiskey for applejack. That bottle of Bushmill's at the back of my bar hadn't seen so much action in years. (Love those Libbey Royal Fern glasses? Find 'em here.)

Tally ho, sbagliato!

Finally, I rounded out March with the Negroni Sbagliato, the "mistaken" version of that classic with Prosecco standing in for the gin. (And check out those charming Libbey Tally Ho lowballs!) If I'm drinking something bitter and bubbly, there's a 99% chance it's an Aperol Spritz, so, hey, double pat on the back for a cocktail that's neither a spritz nor features American whiskey. 

I've got plenty more exploring to do over the coming months—I will open that bottle of falernum! I will figure out something to do with cachaça other than make Caipirinhas! And dammit, Ramazzotti, I'm coming for you. And let's be honest: I didn't actually go way out in left field with most of my cocktailing over these last couple of months. 

But it did feel good to crack open some infrequently used bottles, and to get myself out of my whiskey-first habit for a bit. If you, like me, have neglected bottles hanging around your home bar, I definitely encourage showing them some love.

Ask a Bartender: Shane, What Are Some Awesome + Easy Holiday Cocktails?

The end-of-year holidays deserve special drinks, whether you love these celebrations and festivities and want to drink in their honor or whether you simply want something delicious to sip as you curl up away from the world and wait for the season to pass.

To get some ideas on interesting takes on holiday drinks that go beyond the ordinary but aren't complicated or labor intensive—because, c'mon, you've probably got enough to—I turned once again to my pal, bartender extraordinaire Shane Hobart. (And in case you missed my first post about Shane, in which we chat about all things shrubs, you can find it here.)

Emily: So, Shane, it's what some people consider "the most wonderful time of the year" (though, really, total darkness around 5 p.m. is definitely NOT wonderful). What's your favorite thing to drink around the holidays? And what's your favorite drink to serve?

Shane: Agreed, certainly not the most wonderful time for fresh, seasonal drinks, but there is always fun to be had! Spring, summer, and early fall are such easy times for drink specials—I can simply pop into the local market and see what was picked that day. Now things aren't quite as easy. It's a good time to get back to simple classics, like my favorite, a well made 3-1 rye Manhattan with Antica Formula vermouth (stirred of course!) and brandied cherries. We are also running a barrel-aged Manhattan at the restaurant, which is fun and a great display.

I also like to use shrubs, syrups, and reductions when fresh items are limited. A few of the drinks that I have run recently are a cider Old Fashioned, a cranberry mule, and an apple Sidecar. I also really like one of my bartender friend and coworker Michael's drinks, which he calls Winter Dreams. It's a fruity yet elegant combination of vodka, pomegranate juice, St. Germain, and sparkling wine.

In case you've been wondering what a midcentury Scandinavian Christmas angel looks like, these rocks glasses have the answer.

Emily: Wow—those all sound pretty delicious. I can definitely imagine sitting down with one (or, fine, a few) of those and escaping from the holiday craziness for a while.

Tell me more about the cranberry mule. What is a mule, anyway, and is it related to a buck (like the Kentucky Buck)?

Shane: The cranberry mule is a variation on a Moscow Mule, which is really just a vodka buck in a fancy copper mug! So basically a buck is just any base spirit, with citrus, and either ginger beer or ginger ale. Apparently no one knows definitively why it was called a buck, but it was possibly due to the "kick" of ginger beer. As for the Moscow Mule variation, the story goes that it was created at a bar in LA in the 1940's. Allegedly a bartender was helping a vodka salesman, a ginger beer salesman, and another trying to sell copper mugs, by using the three together. Though it's hard to imagine in our Tito's crazed world, vodka was not embraced in America for some time. The Moscow Mule helped make it more appealing to consumers.

As for my spin on the classic, I made a cranberry simple syrup using a few bags of fresh cranberries and equal parts water and sugar. I bring the cranberries and water to a boil and then add the sugar and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Then I gently mash the cranberries a bit to extract more of the juice, and strain out the solids and leave it out until cool. After that it can be kept in the fridge for several weeks and may need to be double-strained if you plan to use it from a bottle with a speed pourer.

For the drink, I use two ounces of Grey Goose, half an ounce each of the syrup and fresh lime juice, and then top it off in a tall glass with Regatta ginger beer. I like functional garnishes, so I do a little triangle of lime, but I suppose you could do something fun with cranberries. A piece of crystallized ginger works well too!

Let's hope one of those boxes under the tree contains some vintage cocktail glasses.

Emily: That sounds delicious, and it also sounds like a drink that would be a cinch to make once you've got the syrup on hand. I can totally see making a batch of these to serve at a party: they're seasonal and a little bit fancy, but also easy enough to whip up in larger quantities, which is always a good thing when you're hosting.

On that subject, are there other batch-able drinks you'd recommend that have some holiday pizzaz but, like your cranberry mule, don't require tons of ingredients or lots of work?

Shane: You can't go wrong with a big batch of Sangria, red or white. It is really forgiving and allows you to customize as you like; such as with St. Germain, your favorite juices, spices, or liqueurs. All you really need is a decent wine, a spirit such as orange liqueur or creme de cassis, some nice fresh squeezed citrus juices, and maybe a bit of soda or sparkling wine.

I think it could easily be made a bit more elegant and seasonal as well, by adding a cranberry liqueur, a rosemary or cinnamon simple syrup, or maybe some Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. These are just some ideas, but I think it can be really simple as well, such as a nice rosé champagne. As I mentioned in our last discussion, I like to start with one ingredient I want to use, say rosemary, and then go from there. I look it up in my Flavor Bible to see what it pairs well with, search the internet for drinks that come up, and then start trying ideas out. And remember, always test out recipes you find online, as that are often not as good as they sound, and don't be afraid to tweak them to your liking!

Seasons greetings, seasons drinking...

Emily: Ooh—white sangria with rosemary simple syrup as an extra hit of flavor sounds like it would be awesome. I may have to give that a try!

One final question for you: if you could ask for a bottle of something special for Christmas, what would it be? 

Shane: I would ask for a bottle of 8-year, cask strength, single barrel Willett rye. It's hard to come by, but I have loved every Willett rye I've tried. And since it is overproof, it is also the base I would want to have a drink made from. I love the strong stuff made into a Manhattan! The vermouth, bitters, and gentle stirring temper the heat, while highlighting the best aspects of the whiskey.

But since that stuff is over $100, when you can find it, I would also be happy with a bottle of Uncle Val's gin. It is a product out of Oregon, and the "Botanical" offering is so floral and smooth that it almost tastes like a classic martini with vermouth, already mixed and ready to go! Another great bottle, and also perhaps a crossover spirit from bourbon to scotch, is Aberlour A'bunadh, a scotch aged in sherry casks. 

It's a great time to be a spirit and cocktail lover, with so many high quality options from around the world. Cheers and safe and a happy holiday season to all!

---

Thanks to Shane for sharing his holiday cocktail tips and ideas. And Shane, I hope Santa brings you at least one of those bottles on your list!

Ready for a super-simple, super-delicious, beautifully festive holiday cocktail? Shane's cranberry mule is the way to go. The only part that really takes any effort is the syrup, and even that is basically just putting stuff in a pan and letting it cook for a few minutes. Once that's out of the way, you're ready to mix these things up individually or in batches, and the syrup will keep for a couple of weeks in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

Cranberry Mule

Recipe courtesy of Shane Hobart

Cranberry Simple Syrup

1 bag cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Cocktail

2 oz. vodka (Shane uses Grey Goose) 

1/2 oz. cranberry simple syrup

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

Ginger beer (Shane uses Regatta)

Make the syrup: Bring the cranberries and water to a boil. Stir in the sugar, lower heat, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. (The cranberries may pop as they cook, but that's a good thing, as they'll add more flavor to the syrup.) Remove from heat and gently mash cranberries. Strain through a sieve into a clean container to remove solids. Let cool. If you don't use all the syrup immediately, store it in a sealed container in the fridge.

Make the cocktail: Shake vodka, syrup, and lime juice with ice. Strain over ice into a highball glass. Top with ginger beer and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a lime wedge, cranberries, a chunk of candied ginger, or some combination of all three. Because why not? It's the holidays.

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your cocktails be this delicious. Happy Holidays!