Seagram Apple Pie

Seagram Apple Pie is a flavored whiskey, which puts it in a different category from straight bourbon or rye. A whiskey base is sweetened and flavored to suggest baked apple pie. Products in this style usually lead with cooked apple and cinnamon, followed by brown sugar, a little vanilla, and a faint toastiness from the grain and any oak. Expect it to be sweeter and lighter-bodied than an unflavored whiskey, with far less char, smoke, or rye spice. The label gives no proof or age statement, so check the bottle for the exact strength. Because the sweetness and spice are already built in, it drinks well with minimal handling. Served neat at cool room temperature, the cinnamon and apple come through clearly. Chilled from the fridge or freezer, or poured over a large ice cube in a rocks glass, the sugar softens and the flavor reads more like cold apple cider with a whiskey backbone. A few drops of water are rarely needed, though they can loosen the sweetness if it feels heavy. A Glencairn is unnecessary here, since the aroma is mostly fruit and spice and a rocks glass or small tumbler shows it just as well. In cocktails, treat it as a sweetener as well as a spirit. In an Old Fashioned, skip the sugar cube, add a couple of dashes of aromatic bitters and an orange peel, and the bitters will balance the sweetness. A Manhattan-style stir with dry vermouth and bitters, instead of sweet vermouth, avoids doubling up on sugar. For a Whiskey Sour, cut the simple syrup back sharply and keep the lemon juice, which counters the pie flavor. The simplest highball is two parts ginger beer or soda to one part whiskey over ice with a lemon wedge, or hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick in the colder months. For pairing, a sharp cheddar or a plain vanilla ice cream suits it well. A scoop of ice cream with a measure poured over the top works as a quick dessert.