It’s pumpkin pie spice season, if you haven’t noticed. It’s on all the grocery store shelves; it’s featured in commercials, and it’s even in your latte, which is a real shame because what if you don’t really like the taste of pumpkin? The fact that they sit there decomposing on porches all through the month of October might have something to do with it. But you know what I do like? Pumpkin pie spice.
They call them “warming” spices, and the combination does seem to help as fall begins to change into winter. Traditionally those spices are nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove and sometimes cardamom or allspice. Bright orange — primarily due to the ginger — these spice blends mix well with the color of pumpkin, which is also orange. But those individual spices are also delicious all on their own or mixed with everything from cranberry juice to hot chocolate. And they don’t have to be orange. But trends sell, and that is not lost on our local alcohol producers, which results in a whole host of individual pumpkin pie-spiced liqueurs available, all delicious with or without the pumpkin.
Here are four versions that I’m particularly fond of:
Geijer Spirits’ California Spiced Liqueur, 40 proof, $38
Geijer Spirits in San Francisco is all in on traditional pumpkin-spiced liqueurs. Their Spiced Liqueur is a softer expression of cardamom, clove and cinnamon, which mixes well with, well, anything. But if you need more oomph, they also offer their original “Scandinavian”-style Glögg, adding raisin, orange and almond to the mix, and a more or less traditional alcoholic Falernum based on rum with allspice, which does taste a lot like a blend of cardamom, cinnamon and clove, but is a separate spice all unto itself. Their Spiced Liqueur is the standout of the bunch and makes the most interesting Moscow mule that you’ll ever have. You can even pair it with pumpkin pie, if you must.
For more information or to purchase, go to geijerspirits.com.
Bucked Up Churro Whiskey, 72 proof, $30.99
Sure, we can argue about whether or not cinnamon whiskey is really whiskey all we want. But fun fact: The Sazerac Company’s Fireball whiskey is a billion-dollar brand and consistently ranks in the top five of whiskeys sold in the United States. However, legally speaking, flavored whiskey is a different category than “regular” whiskey, just like flavored vodka is a different category from regular vodka. But you know what? It’s still yummy no matter what you call it. And on the local side, there is Bucked Up Churro Whiskey out of Sonoma County, distilled at the Sonoma Brothers’ distillery in Healdsburg. A bit more assertive than the big-name brands, Bucked Up also comes in closer to the proof of so-called “real” whiskey, a minimum of 80 proof. Bucked Up does make some of those “real” whiskeys too, including two bourbons and a “white” whiskey. All are ridiculously affordable for small-batch products. Try the Churro in a cinnamon old fashioned and you’ll forget all about pumpkins.
For more information or to purchase, go to buckedupwhiskey.com.
Sonoma Coast Spirits’ Sweet Ginger Vodka, 80 proof, $34
Made in Petaluma, which last time I checked wasn’t exactly on the coast, this all-natural ginger vodka is certainly sweet and spicy, just like ginger should be. At 80 proof, it’s fully charged (ABV-wise), just like regular vodka, and since it’s sourced from corn and not a “gluten grain,” it also qualifies as “gluten-free.” Win-win? That’s up to you. But practically speaking, this vodka mixes easily and well without having to fuss too much. And that is really what using vodka in cocktails is all about, isn’t it? Try it in a lemon drop or even a Cosmo and you will see what I mean.
For more information or to purchase, go to sonomacoastspirits.com.
Corbin Cash Sweet Potato Liqueur, 70 proof, $40
I grew up with sweet potato pie. It’s essentially all the same spices as pumpkin pie, just with sweet potatoes as the base. Corbin Cash, located in Atwater, just southeast of the Bay Area in Merced County, is a farm that grows sweet potatoes — not so original, but what they do with them is. They make liquor/liqueurs out of them. Their barrel-aged sweet potato liqueur is their standout; it’s like sweet potato pie in a glass, redolent with spice. It’s also reminiscent of amaretto in body, color and sweetness. Corbin Cash also has a sweet potato vodka, a sweet potato gin, a blended whiskey made with rye whiskey and their sweet potato liqueur. They also make a standalone Merced rye whiskey. Sold out at the distillery, the liqueur is still widely available elsewhere and well worth seeking out. I haven’t tried it in a latte yet, but sweet potato sours? Count me in! Take that pumpkin.
For more information or to purchase, go to corbincash.com.
Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at [email protected]