Nothing says fall like a fresh-out-of-the-oven pecan pie, and when I think of pie I think of Twin Peaks, which inspired the name for this particular drink. I came back from a recent trip to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with (among other things) a really nice bottle of Foggy Dog Pecan Pie Whiskey (bottle on the left in the photo below) from Three Boys Farm Distillery that I immediately thought would make a great base for a fall cocktail.
While you can’t get this particular bottle in Georgia, there are definitely some solid options available locally, like William Wolf Small Batch Pecan Bourbon or Rivulet Artisan Pecan Liquor for a less boozy version of this drink. Since we’re getting both spirit and sweetness from the pecan whiskey, I decided to go with our Brut Still cider to balance things out and add some tartness.
Those of you who have been to the tasting room are likely also familiar with the carbonated version of this cider which we have on tap as “Roots.” Aside from being delicious and super versatile as a cocktail ingredient, both Brut Still and Roots are fermented down to bone dry and have ZERO CARBS. Better still, we’ll be canning Roots for statewide distribution very soon! But I digress. Back to the cocktail:
Damn Good Pie
2 oz Treehorn Cider (OptOutCider/Brut Still - carbonated version canning soon as “Roots”- ZERO CARBS!!!)
2 oz Three Boys Farm Distillery Foggy Dog Pecan Pie Whiskey
Two generous droppers of 18.21 Bitters Havana & Hide bitters
Candied pecan to garnish
Build this one in a mixing glass over ice using equal parts pecan whiskey and Treehorn Brut Still cider, then stir and strain into an old-fashioned or lowball glass over chilled whiskey stones (if you have ‘em handy — if not, regular ice will do the job, but this one tastes best undiluted). Add a couple of generous dropper-fulls of 18.21 Havana & Hide bitters to add some richness and hints of caramelization to evoke that perfectly cooked pie flavor. Finally, float a candied pecan to garnish and you’re ready to serve!