The only thing better than fresh fruit on a summer day is that same fruit cooked down into a flaky, gooey pie. But who wants to turn on an oven when it’s already 100 degrees outside? Instead of sweating to death in the kitchen, mix that fresh fruit into a batch of pie-inspired cocktails. These four cocktails taste exactly like our favorites. From a blueberry spritz with bourbon and ginger, to a cherry-tinged riff on an Old Fashioned, they’re everything you love about pie without all the work.
A blueberry pie, fresh from the oven, is one of the summer’s great treats, each bite filled with bright pops of tart, blueberry goodness. In order to transform that delectable dessert into a cocktail we can enjoy all year round, we looked to the Bourbon Buck (essentially a bourbon Moscow Mule) for inspiration. The vanilla-sweetness of bourbon and gingery kick of craft ginger beer mimic the pie’s buttery crust, while a homemade blueberry syrup and lemon juice replicate the tart filling. Vibrantly blue, the cocktail tastes just as delicious as it looks.
The Essentials
Bourbon
Blueberry Syrup
Ginger Beer
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While the song may be annoyingly catchy—and will definitely get stuck in your head for days—we have to agree with Warrant lead singer Jani Lane: There’s nothing more perfect than a fresh, hot
cherry pie. (That’s what he’s singing about, right? Actual cherry pie?) To make a cocktail that tasted like the summer dessert, we combined the nutty sweetness of amaretto liqueur with the boozy decadence of Cherry Heering (a Danish cherry liqueur). A hefty pour of overproof bourbon adds spice and a touch of vanilla. No matter what time of year you drink this cherry-flavored dram, one thing is for certain: It tastes so good it can make anyone cry.
cherry pie. (That’s what he’s singing about, right? Actual cherry pie?) To make a cocktail that tasted like the summer dessert, we combined the nutty sweetness of amaretto liqueur with the boozy decadence of Cherry Heering (a Danish cherry liqueur). A hefty pour of overproof bourbon adds spice and a touch of vanilla. No matter what time of year you drink this cherry-flavored dram, one thing is for certain: It tastes so good it can make anyone cry.
The Essentials
Amaretto
Bourbon
Cherry Heering
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Strawberries and rhubarb are a match made in pie heaven; the sweet-grassy red berries are the perfect foil to tart, bitter rhubarb. To replicate the classic early summer dessert in a cocktail, we combined Zucca Rabarbaro, a rich, vegetal amaro from Italy, with the mellow fruitiness of homemade strawberry syrup. Gin and a touch of dry vermouth soften the amaro’s bitter flavors, while fresh lemon brightens everything up. It’s easier and, dare we say, better than pie.
The Essentials
London Dry Gin
Zucca
Strawberry syrup
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Made with fresh muddled peaches, cinnamon and brown sugar, this Whiskey Smash variation tastes like liquid peach pie. Big and juicy with a bourbon-fueled kick, it’s sweeter than a Georgia peach at the end of July. The only thing that could make this drink any better is a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
The Essentials
Bourbon
Cinnamon syrup
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