ko.pairings
This Apple Butter Whiskey Sour proves you can use apple butter in a drink, and it is delicious! Paired with the Sausage Cornbread Bites with Salted Apple Butter for an amazing Thanksgiving inspired treat.
This Apple Butter Whiskey Sour was created with apple butter in mind. I had a jar of incredible apple butter in the fridge and I wanted to know if it would work in a cocktail. And can I just say, it is incredible! Truthfully I did expect it to work because whiskey and apple is so good together. I was more worried about the texture apple butter may bring to the drink because of the apple fiber/pulp. However, the recipe doesn’t need a lot so it brings all the apple butter goodness without a strange viscosity.
One of the keys to this recipe is to infuse the whiskey with sage. I note this below in the next section but there are two ways to do this. The first is the longer method and infuse the sage in the whiskey overnight. The second method is the shorter method where you muddle the sage leaves and then infuse whiskey for about 15 minutes. Both work, but the first method needs a little bit of planning ahead. Planning ahead you will get more of the sage flavor coming out, but the quick method works just fine too.
However you choose to make this recipe it will be delicious. It is an amazing fall take on a classic whiskey sour. Don’t forget to class this recipe up even more with the food pairing. This Apple Butter Whiskey Sour was designed to pair with these Sausage Cornbread Bites.
Recipe Notes & Substitutions
- Whiskey– Use what you like. I would however stay away from aggressive smoke. Honestly, I love brandy in this and more often use brandy. However, I realize a lot of people like whiskey so I wrote the recipe for whiskey. If using brandy, use a non-flavored brandy otherwise it will be too sweet. It should be a sipping brandy not a sweetened brandy. If you use bourbon here, I find it is a bit sweeter than whiskey and therefore you may want to cut back on the apple butter to balance the sweeter alcohol. Whether you like whisky, whiskey, bourbon or brandy it all works.
- Apple Butter– Use homemade apple butter, store bought apple butter, or that one your neighbor/friend gave you. Taste the apple butter ahead of time and adjust the sweetness to your preference. The recipe does not include a lot of apple butter so if you like a sweeter drink, add more, if you want a more boozy drink reduce the apple butter.
- Sage– Fresh sage, best to stick with fresh sage. I don’t like dried sage as much here but if you’d prefer it go with dried. When muddling the sage make sure to bruise it well to help release the flavor. If you are infusing the whiskey overnight make sure to also bruise the sage in advance.
- Lemon– Fresh lemons, pre-squeezed lemon juice, whatever works. Just make sure whatever lemon you use isn’t sweetened (i.e. lemonade will result in too sweet of a cocktail).
- Alcohol Free Option? If you are trying to stay away from alcohol, I would recommend using rooibos tea instead of whiskey. Make as directed in the recipe but use 3oz of strong brewed rooibos tea and 0.75 oz of lemon.
Why this Apple Butter Whiskey Sour Pairing works… In my mind.
The cocktail is delicious and truly fall in a glass. The great thing about it is it mimics the food bite so well. First the apple butter is in both the food bite and the cocktail. As such, the apple butter acts as a nice bridge ingredient tying the two together. The amazing sweetness of apple butter balances and reduces the harsh whiskey flavor. The apple butter then interacts with the cornbread to pair off the sweetens of the corn. Finally the apple butter helps to balance the earthiness of the sage and the two pair off each other beautifully.
The lemon adds the needed acidity to cut through both the fat from the sausage and the sweetness of the cornbread and apple butter. The lemon adds needed balance between the sweetness of the apple, fattiness of the sausage and earthiness of the whiskey and sage. The sage adds a needed herbal bridge that brings an incredible base note through the bite and the cocktail. Whiskey is a natural pairing for both apples and sausage. I often get notes of vanilla, butter, citrus, oak and spices like cinnamon or clove from whiskey. All of these flavors complement both the apple and sausage.
The Apple Butter Whiskey Sour and the Sausage Cornbread Bites with Salted Apple Butter truly are a perfect match.
Sage Whiskey Apple Butter Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz Whiskey/Bourbon/Brandy
- 1 Sage Leaf
- 1 tsp Apple Butter
- 1 oz Lemon Juice
Instructions
Making the Sage Infused Whiskey
- Ok if you want to make ahead of time use about 1 cup of whiskey/brandy/bourbon and 3-5 large sage leaves. Either chop them up and add or just bruise the leaves real quick and then add to alcohol. Infuse overnight for best results. The more sage flavor you want, the more sage you should add.
- To a blender add 1 cup of whiskey and 4 sage leaves, or if you have a small blender add 2 oz of whiskey/brandy/bourbon and 1 sage leaf. Blend, making sure sage leaf is broken into small pieces. Set aside for immediate use.
Crafting the Cocktail
- To a cocktail shaker add 1 tsp of apple butter, 1 oz of lemon juice, and 2oz of the sage brandy. Add ice and shake until mixed and well chilled. Pour over a large ice cube and serve with a sage leaf on top (dehydrated lemon and/or apple slices would also look amazing).
- Serve chilled with these Sausage Cornbread Bites.
