Homemade Apple Pie Liqueur

By Richard Thomas

One of my periodic projects is taking some of the more disappointing whiskeys that I come across and finding a way to recover them. My staple move is to try some home blending, which is especially useful in cases where a whiskey is sub-par because it is overwhelmed by one or more strong flavors.

However, at The Whiskey Reviewer we make a point of checking out white whiskeys and legal moonshines, because of my firm belief that if you can’t evaluate new make spirits, you can’t evaluate aged spirits either. After all, it’s what the folks at the distillery do. Besides, I’m a Southern boy with Appalachian roots, and I think corn whiskey makes for some good summertime drinking and mixing.

Even so, sometimes I get some corn whiskey even I think needs improvement. This time around, I chose to try my hand at creating some apple pie whiskey.

Ingredients for Homemade Apple Pie Whiskey/Moonshine

•  750 ML Bottle of Bourbon
• 1 Mason Jar
• 2 Granny Smith Apples
• 4 Cinnamon Sticks
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
• Coffee filter
• 1 or 2 Vanilla Beans (Optional)

Peel the apples and cut them into chunks. Pour the whiskey into a mason jar that is large enough to leave at least some air space in the jar. Put in the apple chunks, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg. Screw the lid on, shake the contents, and shelve the jar for 3 to 4 days. Drain the contents through a coffee filter (to catch loose particulates from the spices) and put the whiskey back in the original bottle or another container.