rye whiskey

Imagine a pumpkin pie with pecan pie’s best feature—obviously, the candied nut topping. Now spike the custard with rye whiskey, up the flavor of the crust with rye flour, and voilà: pecan-rye pumpkin pie. We use Libby’s canned pumpkin because it’s reliably consistent, with an ideal water content, and few variations in flavor (and no, we’re not paid to say that). The egg wash added during the blind bake serves as a moisture-fighting barrier—a seal-tight guarantee that the bottom crust won’t get soggy. The rye flour will make the crust look darker than your standard pie dough. If it starts getting too dark while baking with the custard filling, tent it with a ring of foil.

Pecan Pumpkin Pie

rye flour or all-purpose flour

sugar

kosher salt

all-purpose flour,

(1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

eggs

Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin

heavy cream

Tbsp. rye whiskey

cinnamon

ginger

nutmeg

cardamom

cloves

pecans

Tbsp. maple syrup

Whipped cream (for serving; optional)

Imagine a pumpkin pie with pecan pie’s best feature—obviously, the candied nut topping. Now spike the custard with rye whiskey, up the flavor of the crust with rye flour, and voilà: pecan-rye pumpkin pie. We use Libby’s canned pumpkin because it’s reliably consistent, with an ideal water content, and few variations in flavor (and no, we’re not paid to say that). The egg wash added during the blind bake serves as a moisture-fighting barrier—a seal-tight guarantee that the bottom crust won’t get soggy. The rye flour will make the crust look darker than your standard pie dough. If it starts getting too dark while baking with the custard filling, tent it with a ring of foil. See all of the Absolutely, Positively Perfect Thanksgiving recipes here.

Bon Appétit

Whisk rye flour, sugar, salt, and 1½ cups all-purpose flour in a large bowl to combine. Add butter and toss to evenly coat. Working quickly and aggressively, use your fingers to rub butter into flour to create large shaggy pieces of dough (you want some pieces of butter that are flat and thin and some that are large and chunky). Drizzle 5 Tbsp. ice water over, running your fingers through flour mixture to evenly distribute. Knead dough in bowl until it starts to come together (it should look a little dry, but add more ice water by the teaspoonful if needed, just until dough comes together).

Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead 1 or 2 more times, pressing to incorporate shaggy edges and any loose bits. Dust surface and dough lightly with flour to keep dough from sticking. Using your hands, form dough into about a 7x5" rectangle. Using your rolling pin, gently tap and press dough to compact and tidy up edges. Roll out dough, dusting dough and surface as needed, until 3 times longer than when you started. Fold dough over onto itself in thirds like a letter to make a square. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about a 12" round. Wrap dough around your rolling pin and unfurl into a standard 9"-diameter pie dish. Gently lift dough so it slumps down into edges of dish. Trim overhang and crimp as desired. Line crust with parchment paper or foil. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of crust start to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Decrease oven temperature to 350° and bake crust until edges are golden, 20–25 minutes. Remove dish from oven and brush 1 Tbsp. egg white over bottom of crust. Return to oven and bake until crust is golden brown, 5–10 minutes (the egg creates a water-resistant coating that helps prevent the custard from making the bottom soggy). Reserve remaining egg white for topping.

Do Ahead: Dough can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled. Crust can be baked 3 days ahead; store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

While your crust is baking, combine eggs, egg yolk, pie filling, cream, granulated sugar, whiskey, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, 6 Tbsp. brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. butter, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth; try not to aerate. (Alternatively, you can whisk mixture well and blend in 2 batches in a blender until smooth and homogenous.)

Pour into crust and bake pie (still at 350°) until filling is puffed and mostly set with just a slight wobble in the center when gently shaken, 40–45 minutes.

Just before the pie is done baking, toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8–10 minutes.

Whisk reserved egg white, remaining 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, and remaining ¾ tsp. salt in a small bowl until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add syrup and remaining 1 Tbsp. butter; whisk just to combine. Add pecans and toss to coat.

Carefully remove pie from oven and top with pecan mixture, allowing any excess egg white mixture to drip back into the bowl. Return pie to oven and bake until filling is completely set (a tester or paring knife inserted into the center should come out clean) and nuts are not tacky to the touch, 8–10 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool, at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Do Ahead: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead. Store uncovered in a cool oven or at room temperature.

There are some who adhere to dry-martini dogma when making a manhattan, thinking the drink improves with less vermouth. But the classic, best and most flavorful ratio for this drink remains two to one. Whether you use bourbon or rye is entirely a matter of taste. Bourbon will get you a slightly sweeter, more mellow drink; rye a drier, spicier one. Both versions can be excellent. Use homemade cocktail cherries if possible, or a quality brand like Luxardo. Eschew the common neon-red orbs found in supermarkets. They are cherries the way that stuff movies theaters put on popcorn is butter.

Manhattan

rye or bourbon

sweet vermouth

Angostura bitters

Cocktail cherry,

Stir ingredients over ice until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with cherry.

There are some who adhere to dry-martini dogma when making a Manhattan, thinking the drink improves with less vermouth. But the classic, best and most flavorful ratio for this drink remains two to one.

A great old-fashioned recipe is all about simplicity, ingredients, and technique. Stick with these steps, and you’re bound to nail it every time.

BA's Best Old-Fashioned 

bitters

Orange wedge (for serving)

Maraschino cherry (for serving; optional)

Originally called the Whiskey Cocktail, this cocktail is one of the oldest around—and it never goes out of style. A great old-fashioned recipe is all about simplicity, ingredients, and technique. Start with the sugar and bitters (orange, if you please), and use warm water and plenty of stirring to help dissolve the sugar before adding ice. Opt for large ice cubes so they won’t melt quickly and dilute the drink. Though we prefer rye whiskey here thanks to its peppery, spicy bite, if you like a slightly sweeter, caramel flavor, use bourbon. Whichever spirit moves you, make sure to stir the drink for 20 seconds to fully incorporate the ingredients and chill it thoroughly.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published December 8, 2016.

Stir sugar, bitters, and 2 tsp. warm water in a rocks glass until most of the sugar is dissolved.

Add 3 ice cubes and pour rye over. Stir 20 seconds to chill cocktail and dilute whiskey. Garnish with orange wedge and cherry, if using.

Vieux Carré

cognac

Bénédictine

Peychaud’s bitters


Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice

Traditional mulled cider is cozy and fragrant, but sometimes tastes a little too much like potpourri. In this version, toasted c<span>ardamom, allspice berries and black peppercorns provide sophisticated spiciness, while</span> fresh ginger and citrus add fresh zing. It’s a subtle but noticeable makeover, resulting in cider that’s tangy and aromatic with a savory edge. If you want to spike it, don’t pour the whiskey into the pot with the cider; the alcohol will burn off over the course of an hour or so. Instead, let guests add whiskey to their own mugs. If you've got a slow-cooker, <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020715">this recipe</a> is for you.

Mulled Cider With Cardamom, Black Pepper and Ginger

green cardamom pods

black peppercorns

allspice berries

(4- to 5-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled

scrubbed,

orange,

apple cider,

vanilla extract

(750-milliliter) bottle rye whiskey (optional)

Put the cardamom pods on a cutting board. Lay the flat of a chef’s knife over them and gently smack the flat of the knife to lightly crush and crack the pods. Add the cardamom pods, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and allspice berries to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the spices, shaking the pan often, until very fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the cinnamon sticks into a large Dutch oven or pot. Tie up the remaining spices into a cheesecloth bundle, and add that to the slow cooker as well. (If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can use tea infusers or loose tea bags. You could also put the spices directly into the slow cooker, then strain the mixture as you serve.)

Cut the piece of peeled ginger in half lengthwise and smash each piece by laying the flat of the knife over it and smacking with the heel of your hand.

Put the ginger, lemon, orange, salt and apple cider into the Dutch oven. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. (If you use unfiltered cider, some solids may rise to the top as you simmer; it’s not necessary to skim them, but if you find them unappetizing, you can.)

Decrease the heat to its lowest setting. (Use a heat diffuser if you have one.) Stir in the vanilla. You can leave the cider on the stove for several hours. Set the rye whiskey by the stove so guests can spike their mugs, if desired, and set out cinnamon sticks and sliced citrus, so guests can garnish as they like.

A slow cooker is an ideal way to make and serve a warm cocktail for a party: Throw the ingredients into the cooker several hours before guests arrive and the cider will bubble away, making the whole house smell wonderful. Reduce the heat before adding the rye whiskey so it maintains its kick. The toasted spices make the flavors so vibrant that the drink is delicious even without the whiskey. No slow cooker? <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020716">This recipe</a> is your stovetop option.

Slow-Cooker Mulled Cider

(750-milliliter) bottle rye whiskey, plus more if desired (optional)

Transfer the cinnamon sticks into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Tie up the remaining spices into a cheesecloth bundle, and add that to the slow cooker as well. (If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can use tea infusers or loose tea bags. You could also put the spices directly into the slow cooker, then strain the mixture as you serve.)

Cut the piece of peeled ginger in half lengthwise and smash each piece by laying the flat of the knife over it and smacking with the heel of your hand. (At this point, put the slow cooker in the spot where you’d like to serve it, because it will become difficult to move once you’ve added all of the liquid.) Add the ginger, lemon, orange, salt and apple cider to the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high for 3 hours.

Reduce the heat to warm. Add the rye whiskey and vanilla and stir to combine. You can leave the cider on warm for several hours, allowing guests to serve themselves, adding additional citrus slices and cinnamon sticks to their mugs, as desired.

A mixture of rye whiskey and amaro, with the addition of bitters, sets this simply made cocktail on the road to a manhattan. But then there are detours: the chocolate liqueur to add a mellow accent, and the cardamom for a hint of spice. I also tried substituting coffee liqueur for the chocolate, with great success. It is from the 18th Room in New York, where it is called Before Night Falls.

Manhattan With Amaro and Cocoa

amaro, preferably Averna

crème de cacao or other chocolate liqueur

Bittermens Burlesque or Angostura bitters

green cardamom pods,

Fill a mixing glass with ice cubes. Add the rye, Averna, crème de cacao or liqueur and bitters, and stir 20 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with cardamom.

A delicious fall cocktail similar to an Old Fashioned made with bourbon, persimmon simple syrup, and orange bitters.

Bourbon Persimmon Cocktail

bourbon

persimmon syrup

orange bitters

persimmon wheel or orange peel

Add all of the ingredients to a mixing glass with fresh ice. Stir until nice and cold.

Strain into a cocktail glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a persimmon wheel or orange peel. Cheers!

Here’s the easiest ever old-fashioned. No stirring. No garnishing. Just some whiskey, bitters, sugar and ice — an eternally excellent combination, even without any ritual or fuss.

Lazy Old-Fashioned

Angostura or orange bitters

bourbon or rye whiskey

Put the sugar in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass. Douse it with the bitters. Add ice and pour in the whiskey.

Mix a classic New Orleans Sazerac ahead of time, and serving it is as simple as pouring a pitcher of lemonade.

Sazerac

absinthe

lemon twists

Mix this New Orleans classic hours ahead of time, says Andrew Volk, of Maine's Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, and serving it is as simple as pouring a pitcher of lemonade.

Shake sugar and 1/3 cup hot water in a jar until sugar dissolves; chill until ready to use.

Combine whiskey, absinthe, bitters, 1/3 cup simple syrup, and ¾ cup ice water in a large pitcher; chill until very cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Divide among chilled rocks glasses and garnish each with a lemon twist.

One of the most venerable of whiskey-based cocktails, the old-fashioned has a history that stretches back farther than the martini’s. For decades it has suffered under the reputation of something your grandmother drank — overly sweet, fruit-laden and spritzed-up. But grandma wouldn’t recognize what’s happened to it lately.

Rye Old-Fashioned

Demerara sugar

lemon peel

Spoon sugar into a shaker and add about a teaspoon of very hot water for a simple syrup. Stir until dissolved, adding a little more water if needed.

Add whiskey and bitters, and stir again. Add several ice cubes and stir well to chill. Strain into an old-fashioned glass, add 2 or 3 big ice cubes, twist lemon peel over the top and drop it in.

Valkyrie House Old-Fashioned

Elijah Craig bourbon

Rittenhouse 100 Bonded rye

Demerara syrup

Orange twist,

In a mixing glass three-quarters filled with ice, combine all liquid ingredients. Stir until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain over a single large ice cube in a rocks glass. Squeeze oil from the orange twist over the drink and drop the peel into the glass.

This whiskey cocktail has a hint of honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon!

Sweet and Sour Rye Cocktail

rye whisky

lemon juice

honey

Mix all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and shake well.

Made with rye whiskey, apple brandy, demerara syrup, angostura bitters, orange bitters and garnished with a dehydrated apple slice and cinnamon stick dipped in vodka so it smokes when lit.

Bobbing for Apples Cocktail

oz Rye whiskey (Templeton Rye preferred)

oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Old Apple Brandy 7 1/2 years old preferred)

Orange bitters

apple peel

Cinnamon stick

To make demura syrup, boil 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup demura sugar. Stir until sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside or store in mason jar.

Soak cinnamon stick in your cheapest neutral spirit, such as vodka, to better flambe. Let soak while you make cocktail.

Peel apple like you would a wide orange peel garnish. Dehydrate in oven for 15-20 minutes at 175F, or until edges curl over and it is no longer dripping apple juices.

Add demura syrup and bitters into a cocktail shaker. Stir gently or swirl a few times. Smell it for fun.

Add rye and apple brandy to shaker. Add 4-6 cubes of ice and shake vigorously.

Add a large ice cube to a double old-fashioned glass and pour slowly over ice. You&#39;ll want the top of the cube to remain above the liquid level.

Top with apple peel, skin side down. Place cinnamon stick atop peel, without it touching the liquor.

Light cinnamon stick on fire with a wood match, lightly charring one end or one side, however long your match lasts.

Push apple peel and cinnamon stick down into drink and serve. Cheers!

Pour rye whisky and ginger ale over ice cubes in a glass and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge before serving.

Rye & Ginger

Top Up Ginger Ale

milliliters Rye Whiskey

Pour

Pour rye whisky and ginger ale over ice cubes in a glass and stir.

Garnish

Garnish with a lime wedge before serving.

Make delicious rye whiskey at home with this amazing and easy recipe!&amp;nbsp;

Sip in Style: How to Make the Best Rye Whiskey Moonshine Recipe at Home

lbs Premium rye mix

lbs sugar

water

Yeast

lb malted barley

Add water to your pot and heat the water to 165 °F

Once the water reaches 165 °F add your rye grain mix

Stir continuously for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, stir every 30 seconds until the mash has cooled to 152 °F ( about 5 minutes).&nbsp;

Once the mash has reached 152 °F,  you can stir in the malted barley.&nbsp;

The mash now needs to be stirred every 20 minutes until it cools to 70 °F. This process can take several hours. It is helpful to set a 20 minute timer. Every 20 minutes the mash needs to be stirred for 30 seconds.&nbsp;

Once your mash has reached 70 °F add your yeast 

Aerate your mash by pouring it back and forth between your fermentation vessel and your large pot 

After five minutes seal the fermentation bucket with an airtight lid and place in a cool dark area.

Transfer the mash to your fermentation vessel and cover it with a lid. Allow the mash to ferment for 5-7 days, or until the bubbles stop forming on the surface.

Once the mash has fermented, it's time to distill the alcohol. Transfer the mash to your still and heat it up slowly. As the alcohol evaporates, it will travel up the still and condense back into liquid form. Collect the liquid in a separate container and repeat the process until you have enough alcohol for your desired proof level.

Once you have distilled the alcohol, it's time to dilute it with water to bring it down to your desired proof level. Use your hydrometer to measure the alcohol content and add water until you reach the desired proof level.

Transfer the moonshine to a clean, airtight container and store it in a cool, dark place. You can also age the moonshine by storing it in a barrel or adding oak chips to the container.

A classic rye recipe with a twist. While this recipe will not have a distinct apple flavor, it will give your rye a delicous taste.&amp;nbsp;

Amazing Apple Rye Whiskey Recipe 

cornmeal

6lbs of milled rye

white wheat

lb of 6 row malt brewing grains

lbs of Gala Apples

distillers yeast

high temperature enzyme

We suggest using a grain bag in order to easily strain your mash.In a large pot, bring about 4 gallons of distilled water to a boil.&nbsp;

Add 4lbs of corn meal and stir to incorporate well. It will get thick and take on a gelatin-like consistency.

Wait an hour. Check the temperature of your mash. When the mash hits about 190° F you can add the high temperature enzyme. Before you add the enzyme the mash will be thick like oatmeal. After you add the enzyme, it will thin out like milk. 

Add 6lbs of milled rye. Add it in slowly to check for any lumps and stir well. 

Next, add 1lb of white wheat&nbsp;and 2lbs of six row. 

At this point you want your temp to be about 145° F&nbsp;degrees you can add hot or cold water to adjust the temperature.

Cover and leave for an hour. While you are waiting, prepare your apples. 

Core your apples and cut into about two or three inch pieces.&nbsp;

Place in a food processor a few apples at a time. Add about a cup of water to the food processor. You may need to add more water. You want an applesauce consistency.&nbsp;

Pour your apple mush into a sterilized fermentation bucket.

Once the hour is up it's time to check for mash conversion.

We want a temperature of about 70° F&nbsp; in order to add the yeast. You can add cold water to bring the temperature down.

Strain the solids out of your mash.&nbsp;

Once you have reached your ideal temperature, add 3 tablespoons of distillers yeast.

Pour the mixture into your fermentation bucket and add an airtight lid and airlock.&nbsp;

Allow to ferment for about 14 days or until there has been no activity in the airlock for about two days.&nbsp;

Once fermentation is complete, distill and fractionate.&nbsp;

In order to make rye, it is important to age your moonshine using oak chips or an oak barrell. The amount of time is up to you.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;generally rye whiskey is aged in a cool, dark place for about 1 to 3 years.&nbsp;

This rye Manhattan gets its bright color and sweet pizazz from a little bit of maraschino cherry juice from the jar.

Cherry Manhattan

maraschino cherry juice (from the jar of Luxardo cherries)

ice cubes

Luxardo maraschino cherry

A classic Manhattan is a cocktail in which whiskey is stirred with sweet vermouth, ice cubes, and a dash of bitters, and is garnished with a maraschino cherry. It is light, refreshing, and not too sweet, since there is no added sugar. And it is forgiving. While rye is the classic choice, interpret this cocktail with your favorite whiskey—Canadian, blended, Tennessee whiskey, or bourbon. You can also take inspiration from the variety of mixers that have been stirred into the cocktail over the years, from absinthe and sherry to gomme (gum syrup, made with sugar and gum arabic).
To make it “perfect,” stir in half dry and half sweet vermouth. The choice of glassware is also yours—a Manhattan may be strained into a rocks glass or, for an elegant presentation, into a stemmed cocktail glass. A luxurious Luxardo maraschino cherry, as opposed to a generic maraschino, is a must.
In her 1906 recipe collection, The Peytonia Cook Book, Atholene Peyton, a domestic-science teacher and cooking expert, stipples the time-honored drink with bar syrup, adding a sweetness that makes the drink remarkable. To honor the tradition, I stir in a little bit of the maraschino cherry juice (from the jar) for its bright color and sweet pizazz. Modern imbibers will marvel.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice' by Toni Tipton-Martin. Buy the full book on Amazon.

Epicurious

In a cocktail mixing glass, combine the whiskey, vermouth, bitters, cherry juice, and ice cubes. Stir cold for 30 seconds. Using a julep strainer, strain the mixture into a rocks or cocktail glass. Garnish with the Luxardo maraschino cherry.

Top 18 rye whiskey recipes from across the web

The most viewed rye whiskey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Manhattan

BA's Best Old-Fashioned

Vieux Carré

Mulled Cider With Cardamom, Black P...

Slow-Cooker Mulled Cider

Manhattan With Amaro and Cocoa

Bourbon Persimmon Cocktail

Lazy Old-Fashioned

Sazerac

Rye Old-Fashioned

Valkyrie House Old-Fashioned

Sweet and Sour Rye Cocktail

Bobbing for Apples Cocktail

Rye & Ginger

Sip in Style: How to Make the Best ...

Amazing Apple Rye Whiskey Recipe

Cherry Manhattan

Top 18 rye whiskey recipes from across the web

The most viewed rye whiskey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Manhattan

BA's Best Old-Fashioned

Vieux Carré

Mulled Cider With Cardamom, Black P...

Slow-Cooker Mulled Cider

Manhattan With Amaro and Cocoa

Bourbon Persimmon Cocktail

Lazy Old-Fashioned

Sazerac

Rye Old-Fashioned

Valkyrie House Old-Fashioned

Sweet and Sour Rye Cocktail

Bobbing for Apples Cocktail

Rye & Ginger

Sip in Style: How to Make the Best ...

Amazing Apple Rye Whiskey Recipe

Cherry Manhattan

The most viewed rye whiskey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine