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Cocktail History
The Great Pumpkin is a modern cocktail that was created in 2008 by Jim Meehan at PDT in New York City, New York. Made using the flip template, it calls for the classic’s mixture of spirits—in this case beer, apple brandy, and rye—and both egg yolk and egg white. Plus, it adds it a delicious and rich spices maple syrup that elevates its already seasonal flavors and tops it off with a sprinkling of grated nutmeg.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Pumpkin Ale: This is a type of beer made with pumpkin, baking spices, hops, malts, yeast, and water. We used Whole Hog Beer Pumpkin Ale. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Wellbeing Brewing Non-Alcoholic Pumpkin Ale in place of the beer.
Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with apples, pears, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Laird’s Applejack because it’s a high quality and flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try apple cider and Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the apple brandy.
Rye: This is a type of whiskey made with at least 51% rye grain, malted barley, corn, and water. We used Heaven Hill Distillery Rittenhouse Rye because it has a rich and clean taste with notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa, and citrus. For a mocktail version of this drink, try The Gospel Responsible Rye Non-Alcoholic Whiskey in place of the rye whiskey.
Spiced Maple Syrup: This is a syrup made with the sap from maple trees and baking spices. We made ours at home using Alex’s recipe.
Egg White & Yolk: This is both the clear liquid and yellow portion in an egg. We used fresh egg white and yolk because they add a rich, silky smooth texture.
Grated Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seed of a nutmeg tree. We used whole nutmeg from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Bottle Opener: This is used to open bottles. We used the OXO Steel Bottle Opener.
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. We used the OXO Good Grips Grater.
Tasting Notes
The Great Pumpkin has a savory nutmeg aroma and a surprisingly light-bodied mouthfeel and flavor that melds notable pumpkin with maple and finishes with a sudden whiskey sharpness before ending with a slight hint of apple that lingers in the aftertaste.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We both found the Great Pumpkin to be a pretty fantastic cocktail in our own ways. Kendall stays away from beer but still thought the taste was very good. And Alex actually thought it was one of the best flips he’s ever had. Halloween may be over for the year, but don’t let that stop you from grabbing some pumpkin ale and making this gem before winter!
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“My god, I did not expect to like this drink as much as I would at first glance, but once I saw that it was a Jim Meehan creation, I knew I would be in for a treat. It ended up being so much better than I expected. It had plentiful flavors of pumpkin, enough liquor to give it just a hint of boozy bite, and a great amount of heavy flavor while being surprisingly light on the body. The swallow is a journey of sharp rye whiskey followed immediately by soft pumpkin flavor, which stays on your palate for quite a while and encourages you to take another sip.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I’m usually averse to most cocktails made using the Flip template because I’m not big on whole egg as an ingredient. I can’t deny that this is an absolutely incredible take that just wouldn’t be the same without the frothy texture though! I loved the use of pumpkin ale as well and really noticed its hoppy flavor coming through it what could’ve been a busy drink. Overall, this is a great seasonal drink that beer lovers and craft cocktail enthusiasts alike would enjoy.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Liquor.com, an online beverage publication.
Add pumpkin ale, apple brandy, rye, spiced maple syrup, egg white, egg yolk, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Remove ice from shaker.
Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Ingredients
Directions
Add pumpkin ale, apple brandy, rye, spiced maple syrup, egg white, egg yolk, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Remove ice from shaker.
Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Wellbeing Brewing Non-Alcoholic Pumpkin Ale in place of the beer, apple cider and Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the apple brandy, and The Gospel Responsible Rye Non-Alcoholic Whiskey in place of the rye whiskey to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Pumpkin Cocktails
If you like this pumpkin-flavored cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Pumpkin Spiced Russian: A vodka cocktail made with coffee liqueur, milk, caramel sauce, pumpkin spice syrup, and a cinnamon stick
Thanksgiving Nog: A dark rum cocktail made with water, heavy cream, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, ground mace, whipped cream, and a cinnamon stick
Spiced Pumpkin Punch: A gin cocktail made with apple cider, pumpkin purée, honey syrup, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon sticks
Pumpkin Cider: An apply brandy and dark rum cocktail made with apple cider, pumpkin cubes, butter, sugar, whole cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and grated nutmeg
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