Spice up the holidays with apple pie moonshine, the fiery beverage of outlaws domesticated by a touch of grandma’s apple pie. A unique gift for adult pals.

This is simply the best apple pie moonshine recipe for long winter evenings and holiday parties. Picture curling up in front of a crackling hearth, enjoying the lively conversation of your companions, reflecting on the year’s memories, and sipping from a jar of handcrafted liquid apple pie! With the tips and tricks below, you can extend this lovely experience to your broader social circle as well. Because I know no Scrooges frequent my site — you all are always eager to share happy discoveries with those around you!

One of the things I love most about the holiday season is all the boxed, jarred, and canned homemade goods that get passed around. If you have grown weary of candies, fudges, cookies, and other baked confections, apple pie moonshine is the perfect way to mix things up this year. Your fellow hosts and hostesses will likely also be delighted by the break in the routine! Good luck keeping these jars in stock through the winter. You can find apple pie moonshine for sale at local liquor stores and online retailers (for example Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine), but nothing beats our homemade brew.

I hope you try my peach moonshine next!

WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT THIS RECIPE:

Warms you all the way through! Great for sipping on chilly evenings.
Uses just a few simple ingredients.
The sweet apple pie spice profile is a favorite among reluctant drinkers.
I just love giving homemade holiday gifts in jars!

What Is Apple Pie Moonshine?

Apple pie moonshine is the legal version of this fantasy, involving sugared and spiced high-proof grain alcohol. So put your white lightening dreams to rest for another couple of decades, then check back in on your state’s liquor laws.

Flavored moonshine cocktails have successfully and hilariously made the transition from backwoods to the bourgeoisie. Yeehaw! Unfortunately, I won’t be teaching you how to evaporate out some spicy hooch and smuggle it across state lines this afternoon.

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Apple Pie Moonshine?

Apple pie moonshine drinks combine that wonderful apple pie flavor with a serious adult beverage! The apple pie portion of this cocktail is made using apple juice and spiced apple cider blended and boiled with brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon sticks.

The moonshine portion comes from 190-proof Everclear (or a high-proof grain alcohol substitute) along with some vodka. The apple pie moonshine proof at 190 is no serious stuff — this beverage is not for the faint of heart or liver!

Recipe Notes For Apple Pie Moonshine:

Legality: While it is still illegal to distill your own alcohol without the proper permits in most states, what you are really doing in this recipe is creating a cocktail. You are not manufacturing the alcohol itself. So don’t worry that the “fuzz” will be knocking down your door! Check out Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute for more detailed information on the legality of any hypothetical distillery undertakings.

Apple pie moonshine alcohol content: This drink is really just for sipping due to its strength. Please always drink responsibly! For your reference, this recipe yields a roughly 30-proof cocktail, while commercially available versions of apple pie moonshine are typically 70 to 80-proof.

Everclear: I recommend making this apple pie moonshine recipe with Everclear, a colorless, flavorless brand of highly concentrated grain alcohol. It comes in 151 and 190 proofs, which means that the alcohol content by volume is 75.5% or 95%. (You can read the full story of why we came to use “proofs” to describe alcohol here. Spoiler alert: it involves lighting bullets on fire.) Described as having a “unique ability to extract flavor” and “your liquid canvas, a clean slate and open invitation to make it your own” on the company website, this spirit is a mixologist’s right-hand man. Liquor laws are ever-changing, but at last count, it was illegal to buy and sell Everclear in 15 states. For more interesting Everclear facts check here. High-proof vodka is a common substitute if you can’t find another high-proof (and reasonably priced) grain alcohol in your location.

Gifting special touches: You may be wondering what to mix with apple pie moonshine. To give your jars that singular sparkle, don’t forget to plop in an extra stick of cinnamon. You could also add a couple of small slices of green apple, but warn your sippers about munching on these treats! The apple will soak up a ton of alcohol and may cause unanticipated intoxication. For another special touch, wrap the jar with a bit of twine and a handmade label.

Can You Make Apple Pie Moonshine Ahead Of Time?

Yes, you can! My apple pie moonshine cocktail is actually best made a couple of weeks in advance. The flavor only improves as it mellows for a few days.

Don’t stress if you are short on time, however, because the beverage is drinkable as soon as it cools. Make it months, weeks, days, or hours ahead of time, as your schedule allows!

How Do You Store Apple Pie Moonshine?

Homemade apple pie moonshine should be stored in the refrigerator. For longer-term storage, the freezer will do the trick. Moonshine shouldn’t freeze in the freezer, but the cooler temperature will preserve the mixture longer.

For best results, fill the jar almost full, cover it with a tight-fitting lid, and don’t open it until you are ready to serve or consume.

How To Make Apple Pie Moonshine

Boil apple juice, apple cider, brown and granulated sugar, and cinnamon sticks.
Stir Everclear,
and Vodka.
Pour Moonshine into clean jars.
Add fresh cinnamon sticks to each jar.
Cover and store in the fridge.

See full instructions below.

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