When it comes to iconic American food, apple pie is at the top of the list, and after tasting Travis Hasse's Original Apple Pie Liqueur it is no surprise that this very tasty libation is making great strides throughout the United States and Canada.

Travis Hasse (pronounced Hah-zee) is a man with an interesting story to tell, first of all, he, along with his wife Carly, are the owners of the Missouri Tavern located in Springfield, Wisconsin; second, he is the founder of Travis Hasse's Original Apple Pie Liqueur. These two facts are intricately and beautifully pieced together like a quilt from the heartland. 

Speaking with Travis I was immediately captivated, and to fully understand and appreciate his story, we need to take a step back in time to the year 1940 when a man by the name of Albert "Missouri Al" Mefford and his wife, Mae, had a dream and built a convenience store/gas station/tavern in Springfield, Wisconsin, and named it the Missouri Tavern, which was also their home. When Al died in 1964, Mae continued to run the Tavern on her own, where she was the bartender and entertained patrons playing the piano until the age of 101. 

Travis Hasse

Always fascinated with the idea of owning a bar or a restaurant, when the Missouri Tavern went on the real estate market in 2005, Travis and his wife Carly, decided to purchase the iconic bar. They had rather large shoes to fill, so to speak, and while wanting to keep some of the ambience of the Missouri Tavern, Travis also was looking for something different to make his own imprint on the tavern. 

In Wisconsin, people make a type of brandy slush, which he described to me as "a kind of cool underground movement making homemade apple pie liqueur," and Travis grew up with his father, Gene Hasse, making this tasty libation. Travis took his father's recipe, played around with it in his kitchen at home and was soon making and serving Apple Pie Liqueur shots at the Tavern. They became so popular at the Missouri Tavern that Travis decided to perfect the recipe and have it bottled. 

From its humble beginning as a homemade recipe, Travis Hasse's Original Apple Pie Liqueur was perfected and launched in September 2008. Talk about the little product that grew, it is now available in over 25 states in the US and is also available in Canada. 

When not traveling and making the rounds promoting Travis Hasse's Original Pie Liqueurs with his Artic White Lab, named Ruby who has captivated hearts since she was 10 weeks old, Travis may be found behind the bar at the Missouri Tavern, chatting up the patrons and serving one of his Pie Liqueurs. Travis Hasse's philosophy is to keep it fun and simple, as the product has a "good old American feel to it." As for his father, Gene Hasse is very proud of his son's success. 

Travis Hasse's Apple Pie Liqueur, 20% ABV, 40 proof is made from a secret recipe of various types of apples, cinnamon, spices, and neutral grain spirits. The golden color is reminiscent of baked apples, with enticing aromas of baked apples, cinnamon, and spices on the nose.

Tasting Notes: On the palate, rich flavors of baked apples and spices come across; it is almost like drinking apple pie. Delightfully smooth, in the Midwest Travis Hasse's Apple Pie Liqueur is typically consumed in a shot; however it is also a very versatile liqueur to use in cocktail and culinary recipes. 

The Cocktail Recipes 

Luxury Experience's Apple a Day
Luxury Experience's Apple Rita

Travis Hasse's Apple Pie Liqueur has rich baked apple pie flavor, which inspired me to start at the beginning and created, Luxury Experience's Apple a Day. This cocktail needs to be made 1 day ahead to let the full flavors come across for a delightfully smooth cocktail. 

Luxury Experience's Apple a Day    

Yield:   1 Cocktail
Glass:  Granny Smith Apple 

Method: Carefully slice the top of the apple off and hollow out the apple using a melon baller taking care not to puncture the sides or pierce the bottom of the apple. Add the spirits, replace the top of the apple, and cover the apple securely with plastic wrap. Let the apple rest for 1 day in the refrigerator. 

To serve: slice the top off a new apple and make a small hole in the top to insert a small straw. Hollow out the apple and fill with reserved liquid. 

Luxury Experience's Apple Rita takes a different approach to a classic Margarita; my version uses Travis Hasse's Original Apple Pie Liqueur, Grand Marnier, Scorpion Mezcal, lime juice, agave nectar, sweetened condensed milk, and is rimmed with a salty, spicy, sweet mixture. 

Luxury Experience's Apple Rita 

Yield:   1 Cocktail
Glass:  Margarita Glass 

Method: Mix equal parts kosher salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Rim the Margarita glass with a piece of lime and dip in salt mixture. Chill the glass and set aside. In a large shaker, add all ingredients and shake hard until ice is incorporated, and strain into glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. 

The Culinary Recipes 

Luxury Experience's Grilled Chicken with
Travis Hasse's Apple Pie Liqueur Barbecue Sauce

Luxury Experience's Tic Tac Toe:
Apple Pie Liqueur Cappuccino
Miniature Cream Puffs filled with Apple Pie Liqueur Cream
Apple Pie Liqueur Gelee  

 

Luxury Experience's Grilled Chicken with Apple Pie Liqueur Barbecue Sauce   

Ingredients: 

Luxury Experience's Apple Pie Liqueur Barbecue Sauce    

Ingredients: 

Method for the Barbecue Sauce: Pre-heat oven to 350 °F (180 C°). 

Peel, core, and slice apple into quarters. Wrap apple in aluminum foil with a dot of butter, drizzle with Travis Hasse's Original Apple Pie Liqueur, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender approximately 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool. Puree apple in blender with 4 ounces Travis Hasse's Original Apple Pie Liqueur until smooth. 

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat and then add the onions, turn heat to medium and sauté until onions are golden. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved, cook for 3 minutes, and then add the ketchup, Wright's Liquid Smoke, Worcestershire Sauce, hot sauce, and pureed apple. Simmer for 15 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste, add extra hot sauce if desired. 

Method for the Chicken: Marinate chicken in a glass pan with 1 cup of barbecue sauce, cover, and refrigerate for several hours to let flavors meld. 

Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 C°). Bake chicken with barbecue sauce covered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Finish cooking chicken on the grill, basting as needed with additional barbecue sauce. Serve with corn on the cob and a baked potato for a taste of Americana. 

Travis Hasse's Apple Pie Liqueur is a lovely addition to spike dessert recipes, and Luxury Experience's Tic Tac Toe: Apple Pie Liqueur Cappuccino, Cream Puffs filled with Apple Pie Liqueur Cream, Apple Pie Liqueur Gelee showcases this very tasty spirit. 

Luxury Experience's Apple Pie Liqueur Cappuccino   
Yield: 4 Servings  

Ingredients:    

Method for the Apple Pie Liqueur Cappuccino: Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 C°). 

Wrap apple slices in aluminum foil, wrap minced apples in another piece of aluminum foil and set on baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until apples are tender. 

In a blender, add the baked apple slices, apple cider, and Travis Hasse's Original Apple Pie Liqueur, and blend until smooth. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve; may be made 1 day in advance. 

Divide minced baked apples into 4 demitasse cups, pour cappuccino over the apples, garnish with skim milk froth, and lightly dust with ground cinnamon. (May be served warm if desired). 

Luxury Experience's Miniature Cream Puffs filled with Apple Pie Liqueur Cream 
Yield: 4 Servings 

Cream Puff Ingredients:     

Note: Cream puffs are made with pâté à choux , which is easy to make and versatile for use in savory or dessert recipes. Add grated cheese to make classic cheese puffs. 

Method for the Cream Puffs: Preheat oven to 375° F (190.5° C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a heavy saucepan, add water and butter and bring to a boil. When butter melts, add the flour all at once, stirring constantly until flour forms a ball in the center of the pan. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Add 1 egg and beat to smoothly incorporate, followed by the second egg. Mixture will be stiff, however it will smooth out with the addition of the second egg. 

For uniformly sized cream puffs, trace circles on the back of the parchment paper for desired size. Using a pastry bag, pipe the mixture onto the paper. You may also use a spoon. If using a spoon, wet fingers and gently shape into balls. Bake in oven approximately 40 minutes until the cream puffs are golden and they look dry. If not baked long enough, the cream puffs will be soggy. 

Cream Puff Filling Ingredients:      

Method for the Cream Puff Filling: In a bowl, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter melts. Add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time, stirring to create a smooth consistency. Cook for approximately 2 minutes. Mixture will begin to thicken. Remove from heat and beat in egg yolks, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Return to heat and cook for a few seconds only taking care not to curdle the eggs. Stir in Travis Hasse's Apple Pie Liqueur, vanilla powder, and cinnamon. Cover with buttered wax paper and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to use. May be made one day in advance. 

Luxury Experience's Apple Pie Liqueur Gelee 

Ingredients:     

Note: * Agar agar is made from seaweed and is a thickening agent. It sets very quickly, and may be heated and melted if the mixture is too thin or thick. 

Method for the Gelee: In a saucepan, add all ingredients, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the agar agar. When mixtures starts to thicken, pour into a parchment lined square pan and let cool. Chill in refrigerator until serving time. Cut in small squares. 

Presentation: On each of the 4 plates, place 1 cream puff, 1 demitasse with the cappuccino, and 1 square of gelee. For additional flair, make a caramel sauce and create Tic Tac Toe lines on the plates to showcase the desserts. 

Read about Travis Hasse's Cherry Pie Liqueur including delectable cocktail and recipes in the Liquor Cabinet section. 

For additional information on Travis Hasse's Pie Liqueurs and where to purchase the products, please visit the website: www.DrinkPie.com. 

Travis Hasse
Drink Pie, LLC.
7839 Twinflower Drive
Madison, Wisconsin 53719
United States
Telephone:     +1-608-438-3800
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   
Website:        www.DrinkPie.com    

© April 2010. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.