From October until New Year’s Day, the holidays seem to rush along in one giant blur of events, shopping, and things we do just because we’re expected to. One constant throughout the holidays is the ever-delicious pumpkin pie. Noticing that the holidays are just about here, I thought it would be fitting to share my own Pumpkin Pie Martini recipe.
The Pumpkin Pie Martini is good…damn good. How good could it possibly be, you ask? Everyone I served this drink to immediately drained their glass and asked for more. The good news is that you might already have everything you need to make it in your cupboard, fridge, and liquor cabinet.
Pumpkin Pie Martini
- 1 oz vanilla vodka or vodka
- 3 tsp pumpkin pie filling
- ½ oz Kahlúa
- 1 oz crème de cacao
- ¼ cup half and half or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Cinnamon sugar (optional)
- Whipped cream (optional)
Combine vodka, pumpkin pie filling, Kahlúa, crème de cacao, half and half, and pumpkin pie spice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously to combine all ingredients. Strain into a martini or cocktail glass. For fancy garnish, rim the glass with cinnamon sugar before pouring drink. You may also optionally top the drink with a little whipped cream. Drink and enjoy!
The Pumpkin Pie Martini was our first breakthrough hit when we started our drinking website. We couldn’t make these fast enough for ourselves and guests. If you’re playing the role of home bartender on this assignment, be prepared for a busy night. They taste just like a pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and although people want to drink a ton of these, they do get filling after about three or four. The Pumpkin Pie Martini seems to give people a giddy and happy type of drunkenness, so good times there. Each one of these Pumpkin Martinis takes about three minutes to assemble.
A Brief History of Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is popular in the United States and Canada, but hardly anywhere else. Perhaps the reason for its local popularity has to do with the origins of the dessert itself. Pumpkins are native to North America, and they became an export to France as soon as the early explorers found them in Latin America. The earliest recorded recipes for “pompion pie” appear in French cookbooks from the 1500s. Eventually, the Tudor English caught on to the idea of the pumpkin pie. The English prepared their pumpkin pie differently than we do today. Back in the day, the English would cut the top off the pumpkin, take out the seeds, fill it with honey, milk, apples, rosemary, cloves, and marjoram, and proceed to bake the pumpkin in the fire. Frankly, I’m a little surprised they didn’t slather it with mayonnaise afterwards, but that’s another tangent.
Naturally, the English colonists brought their recipe with them to the New World. The Pilgrims ate pumpkin not because it was their first choice, but more out of survival. The early years in American colonies, the immigrants had scant else to eat but squash. Because the big orange gourd was plentiful, it ended up on the dinner menu on a consistent basis.
By the 1850s, the word had transformed from pompion into pumpkin, and the American recipe for pumpkin pie had grown into the one that we recognize today.
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Tags: christmas drinks, creme de cacao, half and half, halloween, holiday drinks, kahlua, martinis, thanksgiving drinks, vodka
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