Apple Pie Shot
Shake; Layer ∙ 5 min ∙ 15.9% ABV ∙
The Apple Pie Shot is a layered shooter of apple schnapps, hazelnut liqueur, and cream, shaken and topped with grated cinnamon. Sweet baked-apple flavor leads, with a nutty cream layer softening the finish and a warm cinnamon note on the nose from the garnish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 2 ingredients with ice: Apple schnapps liqueur 30 mlHazelnut liqueur 15 ml
- Strain into the chilled glass
- Float Whipping cream 10 ml on the drink by carefully pouring over the back of a spoon
- Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon
Tips
- Shake the apple schnapps and hazelnut liqueur hard with ice for about 10 seconds to chill and slightly dilute before straining, since this base gets shaken, not the cream.
- Float the whipping cream as the final layer by pouring it slowly over the back of a bar spoon so it sits on top instead of mixing into the shaken layer below.
- Chill the shot glass beforehand so the cream layer holds its position longer and doesn't slide into the schnapps-hazelnut mix while serving.
- Grate the cinnamon fresh directly over the cream layer just before serving so the oils stay aromatic and don't clump on the surface.
History
The Apple Pie Shot has no clear, documented inventor or origin story; industry accounts describe it as one of the shooters whose history cannot be traced to a specific bar or bartender. It is generally believed to have emerged in the United States sometime in the 2000s, as a shot-glass take on the flavor of the classic dessert. Some accounts trace the broader idea of an "apple pie" alcoholic drink to older Appalachian moonshine customs, in which raw, unaged whiskey was mixed with apple cider, sugar, and cinnamon to make it more drinkable, though this is offered as background rather than a documented link to the shot itself. Because no single creator or bar claims credit, the drink is described as having many differing homemade versions rather than one canonical recipe.