DRINKS AS EASY AS PIE … COCKTAILS

This Thanksgiving, have your pie and drink it too!

“Nothing says the holidays more than a slice of pie … You might as well have it in a cocktail,” explained Jeff Thistle, general manager of ChopHouse Grille in Exton.

Choose a Caramel Apple Martini garnished with Granny Smith or pick a Pumpkin Pie Martini, starring seasoned pumpkin puree, vodka and RumChata.

“I like the fact that it tastes like Thanksgiving,” he said. “You’re getting that true pumpkin pie flavor coming through in the cocktail.”

Hosting a crowd? Give ‘em “pumpkin” to talk about. Fill a hollowed-out pumpkin with Punkin Punch.

“The punch is like a Dutch pumpkin pie, not too sweet,” described James Cleland, tasting room manager at Boardroom Spirits in Lansdale. “It has a nice tea backbone and a baking spice all through the middle.”

Another favorite called the Apple Pierate packs “a really good bite of ginger” to “get those salivary glands going and make you hungry for another sip.”

Or savor a pear tart-like drink dubbed Resistance is Futile, featuring Boardroom Aged Pear plus freshly squeezed lemon juice for “that pop.”

“Adding a couple fresh ingredients during the fall just brightens a cocktail up,” he said. The result: “crisp and refreshing and balanced, not sweet or creamy or fake.”

Pie-fection!

Zero proof: seasonal sip sans alcohol

Boost your beverage offerings with something festive even the kids can enjoy: Apple Pie Punch.

“Try this punch when you want to surprise your guests with something more than the usual mulled cider,” said Rebecca Talbot, a blogger for Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown with the

“in-cider” information.

It’s easy. Just combine cider, spices and vanilla ice cream. Yes, ice cream!

“It makes a thick,

creamy topping much like the whipped cream on top of a hearty slice of apple pie,” she added. “I love that preparing this fills my kitchen with the smell of apple pie spices. I always love Weaver’s cider either hot or cold, so anything that builds on that is going to be good.”

Apple Pie Punch

(Inspired by BBC Good Food)

INGREDIENTS

4 cups apple cider

3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of ginger pinch of cloves pinch of nutmeg

3 scoops vanilla ice cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 4 cups apple cider and the spices in a saucepan until the liquid simmers. Transfer to a heatsafe pitcher and immediately whisk in the ice cream. Serve immediately, while warm.

Note: To serve a crowd and have this available throughout an evening party, keep the spiced cider in a slow cooker and add the ice cream to individual glasses.

Caramel Apple Martini INGREDIENTS

2ounces Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka

1⁄2 ounce DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker Schnapps

1⁄2 ounce Buttershots Butterscotch Schnapps

1 ounce caramel

1 each Granny Smith apple slice

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the vodka, Apple Pucker and Buttershots Schnapps with ice in a mixing glass. Shake for 20 seconds. Put 1 ounce of caramel in the bottom of the martini glass. Strain contents of mixing glass into martini glass. Garnish rim of martini glass with granny smith apple slice. Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie Vodka

1⁄2 ounce RumChata cream liqueur

2 ounces seasoned pumpkin puree (see below)

1 lime wedge Cinnamon/sugar Seasoned pumpkin puree:

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1⁄8 teaspoon ground allspice

1⁄8 teaspoon ground clove

1⁄8 teaspoon ground ginger

1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

Seasoned pumpkin puree: Add seasonings to pumpkin puree and mix well. Use more or less depending on your preference

Cocktail: Combine vodka, RumChata and pumpkin puree with ice in a mixing glass. Shake for 20 seconds. Take lime wedge and rub the rim of the martini glass. Dip the rim of the martini glass into the cinnamon/sugar. Strain contents of mixing glass into martini glass.

Resistance is Futile INGREDIENTS

1 ounce Boardroom Aged Pear (Boulard VSOP Calvados for storebought)

3⁄4 ounce house amaro (Becherovka for store-bought)

1⁄4 ounce house crème de cacao (Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao)

3⁄4 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

3⁄4 ounce cinnamon syrup (Monin Cinnamon if you don’t want to make it)

1dash housemade orange bitters (Regans’ Orange Bitters)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin and add ice. Shake and strain into a stemmed coupe or martini glass. Garnish with lime oil and peel.

Punkin Punch INGREDIENTS

6parts Northbound Rye

1part allspice dram (Hamilton Pimento Dram is a good storebought brand)

3parts sweet vermouth (Cinzano or Martini & Rossi are good store brands)

4parts spiced pumpkin syrup (see below)

6parts unsweetened iced tea (we use Gold Peak)

Spiced pumpkin syrup:

32ounces simple syrup (1part sugar to 1part water)

8 to 10 cinnamon sticks

4 to 6 anise stars

Meat and seeds from 1medium/ large pumpkin (or 15-ounce can pure pumpkin)

1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Spiced pumpkin syrup: Place cinnamon sticks and anise stars into simple syrup while syrup is still warm. Allow at least an hour for the flavors to infuse into the simple syrup. For smaller batches, you can use fewer cinnamon sticks and anise stars. After the infusion, strain out the cinnamon and anise. Add the pumpkin, nutmeg and ground cinnamon and blend thoroughly. Place the raw pumpkin simple syrup over light heat for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool before using. (Optional: strain puree out for thinner texture and less pumpkin, more spice flavor.)

Combine all ingredients into pumpkin or punch bowl. Add ice and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Garnish with lime and orange wheels.

Apple Pierate

2 ounces Boardroom Rum

1⁄4 ounce fresh lemon juice

1⁄4 ounce ginger simple syrup (see below)

2 ounces apple cider

2full dashes of nutmeg Ginger peel and lime slice, to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Ginger simple syrup: Create the ginger simple syrup by combining sugar, water and freshly grated ginger root in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let the ingredients cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Strain the syrup and discard the ginger root. Refrigerate syrup in an airtight container.

Cocktail: Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Rim glass with ginger peel and lime.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOARDROOM SPIRITS The Apple Pierate blends cider, rum, lemon juice, nutmeg and ginger simple syrup.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHOPHOUSE GRILLE Cinnamon sugar coats the rim of a Pumpkin Pie Martini.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHOPHOUSE GRILLE “Fall” for pie-inspired cocktails at Exton’s ChopHouse Grille.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOARDROOM SPIRITS Resistance is Futile: Pear lovers, this cocktail’s for you.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WEAVER’S ORCHARD Ice cream (!) tops this Apple Pie Punch.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOARDROOM SPIRITS A hollowed-out pumpkin’s “a fun way to present a punch instead of your traditional crystal bowl,” says James Cleland of Boardroom Spirits.