Happy Voting Day!

As a big fan of Democratic Drinking and an even bigger fan of Democracy itself, I wanted to celebrate the day with an all-inclusive cocktail that you can make tonight to toast the day!

Whether you are kosher, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, or nut-free, OR if you are halal, or not drinking alcohol for whatever reason, the following two recipes are my take on the American apple pie!

For those of you who are: Kosher, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Dairy-Free, or Nut-Free, this one’s for you (with notes).

Makes one cocktail!

1 oz **Coconut water//Brown sugar mix (Recipe follows; For this to be kosher, you need to find 100% coconut water, with no added flavoring agents or colouring agents - Vita Coco works; and for both kosher and vegan drinkers, make sure your brown sugar does not contain bone char)
- If you like a spicier/spiced concoction, or if you don’t have access to the Apologue Liqueur that we list below, please feel free to let the following whole spices simmer gently for about 5 minutes (you can steep for longer if you like) into the Coconut Water/Brown Sugar Mix: 1 stick of Cinnamon//1 Clove//1 large thumb of fresh Ginger//1 whole piece of Nutmeg//pinch of whole Allspice
- ADDITIONAL NOTE: WHY COCONUT WATER? Fat is an integral part of apple pie. Normally in the form of butter/lard in the crust and butter in the apple pie mix, it gives the pie a creamy mouthfeel and helps to lead to a slower release, but a longer duration of flavour. Coconut water has natural fat in it, and really makes this drink special.
2 oz Apple Cider (not all brands are kosher, so make sure you’re getting this with the right marking or go to the farmers market and ask about added ingredients and how heat is used in the process. If you have a kosher brand, or more tips, please let me know!)
1.5 oz. Koval Bourbon (Kosher and Organic)
1/2 oz Apologue Persimmon Liqueur (Kosher; Look under the first ingredient for notes if you do not have access to this product)
1/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice - (my research with fresh lemons is that it has more to do with the equipment being clean before slicing into a lemon for it to be kosher, and also for those who are gluten-free and nut/dairy-free, please make sure your equipment is clean and hasn’t been cross-contaminated).

**To make Coconut Water/Brown Sugar Mix, gently heat 8 oz. coconut water with 2 oz. (I used a scale) of brown sugar.

Mix all of the above ingredients together and shake over ice. Strain into a glass.
If you like warm apple pie, mix the above ingredients in a saucepan and gently heat until steaming. Serve warm.

For those of you who are halal or abstaining from alcohol for whatever reason, this one’s for you!

2 oz **Coconut water//Brown sugar mix (Recipe above; For this to be halal, you need to find a brand that meets your standards; and for those who are halal, make sure your brown sugar does not contain bone char)
- Since you are omitting alcohol, you need to make this drink pop trigeminally with spices. Please feel free to let the following whole spices simmer gently for about 5 minutes (you can steep for longer if you like) into the Coconut Water/Brown Sugar Mix: 1 stick of Cinnamon//1 Clove//1 large thumb of fresh Ginger//1 whole piece of Nutmeg//pinch of whole Allspice
4 oz. Apple Cider OR Apple Shrub* which uses apple cider vinegar, sugar, and fresh apples. You can find a recipe here. *Apple Shrub will add a lot of interesting mouthfeel and flavour to the cocktail. It won’t taste like the vinegar you use in salad - promise!
1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice if using plain Apple Cider, and 1/4 ounce if using Apple Shrub - If you are using Apple Shrub, you might want to cut this down to 1/4 oz and build to taste, since you will have some acidity from the vinegar.

Mix all of the above ingredients together and shake over ice. Strain into a glass.
If you like warm apple pie, mix the above ingredients in a saucepan and gently heat until steaming. Serve warm.