Whiskey Cocktails to Pair with Pumpkin Pie This Thanksgiving

Pumpkin pie, though often vying for attention between apple or pecan pie, is a fixture on Thanksgiving tables across the country. While recreating this classic dessert in a pumpkin pie cocktail is an option for those with a robust sweet tooth, whisky purists will appreciate the meeting—not mingling—of dram and dessert, specifically a well-chosen whisky that complements and enhances pumpkin pie’s beloved flavors. Cue these three pairings, each with a different style of whisky, to amplify this sweet American tradition.

Bourbon and rye, both with a long history in American whiskey, are a natural choice for pairing with pumpkin pie. Their baking spice flavors, whether robust or subdued, can cut through the creaminess of the pumpkin and buttery pie crust.

Ektoras Binikos, co-founder of Sugar Monk in Harlem, pairs the classic dessert with Widow Jane’s Baby Jane—a modestly priced $50 bottle made from a proprietary corn strain grown in New York. “It has a wonderfully creamy and spicy character, with notes of salted caramel.” As co-founder of botanical spirits brand Atheras Spirits, he infuses the bourbon base with pennyroyal, a fragrant type of mint. Though mint and pumpkin might seem like an unusual combination, he adds a smoky rhubarb amaro and fig liqueur to add balance and “create a delightful interplay of flavors that beautifully contrasts the mild, earthy sweetness of the pumpkin.”

The Marie Laveau

• 2 oz. Mint-infused Baby Jane bourbon (see below)
• ½ oz. Atheras Spirits Palatine (or other rhubarb amaro)
• ½ oz. Atheras Sykophilos (or other fig liqueur)
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 2 dashes of Atheras Patchouli bitters or Angostura bitters
• Dried botanical for garnish

Gently muddle the cardamom pods and bitters in a shaker tin. Add the remaining ingredients. Fill the shaker with ice and shake thoroughly. Double strain the mixture into a coupe. Garnish with dried botanical.

Mint-infused Bourbon

Combine 2 cups of bourbon with 1 Tbsp. of pennyroyal or spearmint in a sealed glass container for approximately 4 hours. Strain to remove the mint leaves. Store in the refrigerator 3-6 months.

More spice comes to the fore with rye. Binikos opted for a double barrel rye from another New York label, Fort Hamilton Distillery. It was aged for an average of 3 years in a mix of 53-gallon and 30-gallon American white oak barrels. In this riff on a Whiskey Sour, it’s the base, vibrant with spice that reflects the pie’s iconic “pumpkin spice” mixture of allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Toasted bread and spicy vanilla notes come out with the addition of a cardoon liqueur, which is a thistle that is often referred to as wild artichoke, hence the cocktail’s name. The slightly bitter herb has a warm aroma and soft grassy notes that echo the pie’s earthiness.

The Wild Artichoke Whiskey Sour

• 2 oz. Fort Hamilton Double Barrel rye
• 3/4 oz. Atheras Cardoon liqueur or Cynar
• 1/2 oz. maple syrup
• 3/4 oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 3 dashes orange bitters
• Meyer lemon twist and grated zest for garnish

In a Boston shaker, combine all the ingredients and add ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled. Double strain into a coupe. Garnish with a twist of Meyer lemon peel and a grating of zest for an aromatic finish.

Head bartender Aaron Kim at cocktail lounge Ba53ment, in Manhattan, suggests a non-peated scotch, such as Macallan 15 year old Double Cask, which scored a number 16 spot on our Top 20 list of 2020. A splurge worthy of the holiday at $190, it’s a luxurious whisky aged in sherry-seasoned American and French oak that Kim says, “brings rich dark spices, toffee, honey, and dried fruits that complement the nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar in the pie.” He suggests it’s best served neat so the notes of sherry shine through without dilution to balance the richness of the pie. A modestly priced Macallan Double Cask (which also made our Top 20 list, this time in 2017) is a great alternative, Kim says.

If opting for a cocktail, Kim suggests a classic Rob Roy for this pie pairing. This New York-born libation follows the recipe for a Manhattan, replacing bourbon or rye with scotch. “The slightly bitter note in the vermouth cuts through the pie’s sweetness, creating a beautiful contrast with the underlying scotch that complements the spice.”

Get the recipe for a Rob Roy.

Want more pumpkin? Try these pumpkin-infused cocktails.