The Apple Pie Shot is part of a broader wave of dessert inspired drinks that aim to recreate familiar flavours in liquid form. It became popular in bars where recognisable profiles often matter more than complexity. Apple, cinnamon, and a base spirit combine to create something that is instantly identifiable, even before you taste it. The sweetness is deliberate, but the spice helps give it a bit of structure. It is a shot designed to be approachable and consistent.
The apple comes through first, sweet and a little syrupy from the cider, before the cinnamon settles in underneath. Everclear gives it a clean, warming finish, sharp enough to remind you it is still a shot.
Other Ways to Make It
- Vanilla vodka softens the finish considerably if Everclear feels like too much
- Cinnamon whiskey leans further into the spice rather than the fruit
Why Lush Life Loves It
This is one people tend to order because they already know what they are getting. It delivers that expectation, which is often exactly the point.
Here is the recipe
Apple Pie Shot
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon apple cider
- 1/2 gallon apple juice
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 8 cinnamon sticks
- 1/5 of a bottle of 190 proof grain alcohol (Everclear or vodka)
Instructions
- Add the apple juice, apple cider, brown sugar and cinnamon sticks to a large pot and heat on medium heat
- Stir well
- Bring to a boil then shut the heat off
- Cool and then add the grain alcohol
- Wet the shot glasses and rim them with cinnamon sugar
