The best holiday drinks you can serve are the ones that your guests can make themselves. Big batch recipes keep you away from the kitchen so you can mingle with your friends and family instead of manning a cocktail shaker for 30 minutes. When we imagined the perfect autumn holiday cocktail, we knew it had to include Appalachian Apple Pie Moonshine from Sugarlands Distilling. With tastes of fresh green apples, bright lemon zest, and a smooth caramel apple pie finish, it's the perfect addition to a big ol' punch for an apple pie moonshine recipe that can be made in five minutes.
Of course, you could make your own 'white lightning infusion' at home, but we find this is the best way to capture that classic apple pie spice without bringing hot apple cider and apple juice to a boil and infusing it yourself with Everclear or grain alcohol. We paired the delicious moonshine recipe with Sugarlands' Mark & Digger's Hazelnut Rum to provide the warmth of a spiced rum. This great rum tastes just like cinnamon sticks have come from the mason jars.
We recommend choosing a dry white wine for this recipe and a sauvignon blanc is a good choice because it compliments the fresh apple taste of Sugarlands' coveted apple pie shine. You can find sauvignon blanc wines in any place wine is sold, and the best come from Marlborough, New Zealand, if you need some help picking from the many options!
While the alcohol content of the punch is higher, we like to refrigerate so the flavors can infuse together for just a little bit. If you're in a rush, 30 minutes in the refrigerator to chill is best, but you can also choose to chill overnight.
Because it'll be sitting at room temperature, don't forget to add ice or provide some for your guests. We like to top it all off with club soda for a fresh pop of fizz, but you can choose to set a few 2-liter bottles by the punch so guests can help themselves.
This easy cocktail recipe is much faster than infusing your own moonshine and pulling out the white sugar, the ground cinnamon, and the large stock pot. Instead, focus on that apple cobbler in the oven and simply pour these ingredients together for a mixed drink that even Aunt Betty would love.
Find the full recipe for Apple Pie Moonshine Punch here.
The Sugarlands Distilling Giveaway
Sugarlands Distilling is hosting a holiday giveaway of 15 total prizes! The grand prize is a trip for two to the Great Smoky Mountains to visit Sugarlands Distilling Company in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Four lucky winners will each receive a $100 gift card for Sugarlands Distilling Co., and 10 lucky winners will receive boxes of Sugarlands Distilling gifts!
Customers that order between November 14 and December 14 will receive a gift with their purchase courtesy of Sugarlands Distilling.