Fall has arrived in all its glory. Leaves are turning, the mornings are getting crisp, and pumpkins are everywhere. To celebrate fall’s arrival, we’re calling out our official fall 2023 cocktail — The Great Pumpkin!
Last year, I went with the iconic Rob Roy with its smoky Manhattan vibes. This year, I’m going even harder on the big fall energy. The Great Pumpkin is a modern classic that reaches back to the earliest days of mixing drinks. The drink is a fall-inspired “flip”. What’s a “flip” you ask? It’s a cocktail that dates all the way back to the 1600s at least (it’s been around for a very long time is the key point) — a mix of ale, egg, rum, and molasses. Over the centuries, the flip was revived and renewed with every generation, including our own.
Back in the late aughts, cocktail legend Jim Meehan devised The Great Pumpkin Flip at PDT in New York, and here we are. The drink mixes pumpkin ale, egg, and maple syrup with a good dose of apple brandy and rye whiskey (both bottled-in-bond proof) to make a boozy and ultra-silky concoction that’s perfect for fall sipping and mixing. The best part is that you’ll have a great pumpkin-spiced cocktail in your arsenal all season while also learning one of the oldest techniques in the history of cocktail culture.
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The Great Pumpkin
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. pumpkin ale
- 1 oz. bottled in bond apple brandy
- 1 oz. bottled in bond rye whiskey
- 0.5 oz. real maple syrup
- 1 medium egg
- Nutmeg
- Ice
The original recipe calls for Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy and Old Overholt Bonded Rye. Those are both perfectly fine. I’m using Starlight Distillery Bottled-in-Bond Apple Brandy and their Bottled-in-Bond Indiana Rye Whiskey instead. Mostly because it’s a working farm with award-winning apple brandy and whiskey and goes hard on the fall vibes.
Lastly, there’s the pumpkin ale. I’m going with a true classic from the craft beer game out in Seattle — Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale. There are few better pumpkin ales out there.
What You’ll Need:
- Coupe or Nick and Nora glass (pre-chilled)
- Cocktail shaker
- Cocktail strainer
- Jigger
Method:
- Add the ale, apple brandy, rye, maple syrup, and whole egg to a cocktail shaker. Affix the lid without ice and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds, making sure to hold the lid (no ice means no vacuum and is libel to pop off).
- Remove the lid and add a handful of ice to the shaker. Re-affix the lid and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to get extra frothy.
- Strain the cocktail in the prechilled glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Serve.
Bottom Line on The Great Pumpkin Cocktail:
This is a lush fall dream in a glass. The mouthfeel/texture of this is so creamy and silky that it draws you in instantly.
The lovingly spiced rye whiskey and apple brandy add a great depth of boozy fall spice to the savory pumpkin ale, creating a light pumpkin pie vibe in the glass. The egg creates a heft that makes this feel literally like a piece of pie in a glass (without trying to be clever in a dumb way with crushed crushed on the rim or something). The nutmeg brightens everything and truly elevates the overall experience to pro vibes.
This is one that I’m going to make a lot of this fall. You should too. It’s delicious, luxurious, and filling.
