Not Your Grannie's Apple Pie

katieskupboardkk
Nov 28, 2017
3 min read

Congratulations! We have made it through the hectic Thanksgiving weekend, crazy shoppers, AND the first Monday back to work. So… is it 5 o'clock on Friday yet? LOL I am sure you have had enough turkey and stuffing leftovers but I have a concoction you will wish had leftovers to last all year. For the last few years I have made Apple Pie Liqueur the week of Thanksgiving so I can share with my family when we get together and carry the fall flavors through the winter. Big shout out to my mother-in-law who gave me the original recipe that I made a few tweaks to. Be warned: it is delicious and deceptively dangerous.

Apple Pie Liqueur

Ingredients:

1 gallon of apple cider (better the quality, better the taste)
3 cups of sugar
½ gallon apple juice (I prefer the “no added sugar” option since there is so much sugar already)
8-10 cinnamon sticks
1 liter of Everclear- 190 proof (I end up using about 1 ½ bottles)

Directions:

Combine the apple cider, sugar, apple juice, and cinnamon sticks into a VERY large soup pot. I think mine is a 30 quart pot since I don’t have anything smaller yet big enough to fit all the ingredients. What can I say, I am prepared for my giant Italian family gatherings 😊
While stirring, bring it to a boil and then drop the heat down to a simmer
Simmer for about 30 minutes, stir occasionally to keep any sugar from burning all over the sides and possibly the bottom
After cooking down some of the liquids, let it cool. I like to put a splatter guard over top and set it on my balcony or porch to drop the temperature quickly. The splatter guard allows for the heat to escape the pot but keeps any unwanted things out.
DO NOT do the next step until the mixture has come to at least room temperature or you will cook out your alcohol
Add the liter/1.5 bottles of Everclear to the apple cider mixture and give it a good stir
Then transfer the completed liqueur into any bottles or containers of choice. I use the jugs from the apple cider, apple juice, and empty Everclear bottle. Try not to split the batch up too much if possible. If you have room, you can even leave the liqueur in the pot overnight in the refrigerator and bottle it the next day. I found using a funnel and scooping the liqueur with a measuring cup works best. Ladling makes a mess. I also tend to add one of the cinnamon sticks to the jug because I love cinnamon and I do not strain it either. If the pieces of cinnamon bother you or you want it to look prettier if you plan to re-bottle later as a gift, you can strain it. Let the liqueur sit at least overnight before drinking or re-bottling as gifts to let the flavors marry. Keep refrigerated.
To serve: my husband prefers to sip it cold and I like to heat mine up a bit sometimes. If you plan to heat it up, let it get to room temperature if possible before heating on low on the stove or for 30-60 seconds in the microwave. Do not over heat or bring to a boil since that cooks out the alcohol. This can be served as straight shots or as short cocktails (no more than 3-4 shots per cocktail).
WARNING: this is 190 proof vodka. Drink slowly! I know that will be hard after you taste how amazing it is but trust me, this stuff will sneak up on you.