Maker’s Mark Bourbon Offers Recipes to Gobble Up This Thanksgiving

Autumn has arrived and with it, the brilliant colors of changing leaves, the bounty of the season’s harvest and the beginning of the holiday season. A Thanksgiving feast just wouldn’t be complete without ingredients like apples, chestnuts and sweet potatoes, but we at Maker’s Mark say take them to the next level by adding in splash or two of our premium bourbon.

Made from soft red winter wheat, barley and corn and aged in American oak barrels, Maker’s Mark is a smooth tasting premium bourbon with caramel, vanilla and spice notes. These flavors are even bolder and more complex in new Maker’s 46, which undergoes an additional aging process with seared French oak staves.

Our historic Kentucky distillery would like to share with you some great recipes from our friends which incorporate our bourbon and will be easy for your readers to make at home. Acclaimed chef and TV personality Amanda Freitag recommends this delicious bourbon-infused sweet potato side dish and Chef Elizabeth Karmel of New York City’s Hill Country Barbecue has whipped up a pecan pie recipe that will have everyone asking for a second slice. Pair these with an Apple Manhattan or Pomegranate Smash cocktail and you’ve got yourself one heck of a Thanksgiving meal!

Please also check out the new recipe section of our website at visit www.makersmark.com.

Apple Manhattan

RECIPE:

2 parts Maker’s Mark®
1 part Berentzen® Apple Liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a granny smith apple wheel.

Pomegranate Smash

RECIPE:

2 parts Maker’s 46™
1 part POM Wonderful® Pomegranate Juice
½ part honey
½ part fresh squeezed lemon juice
Garnish with pomegranate seeds

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour over ice into a rocks glass.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Maker’s Mark®, Chestnuts and Sage

Recipe by Amanda Freitag, Executive Chef and TV Personality

Prep Time: 15 minutes. Cook Time: 30 minutes. Level: Easy.
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
4-5 large sweet potatoes, peeled & large dice
¼ cup Maker’s Mark®
½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup celery, small dice
1½ cups whole peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chiffonade
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

1. Place diced sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Add salt to the sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer the potatoes for approximately 25 minutes or until just tender, not too soft.
2. Drain the potatoes until dry and place them back into the pot. Stir in the ½ cup of butter and the Maker’s Mark® while the potatoes are still hot. As you stir the potatoes they will naturally mash and still hold some of their shape. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a ceramic serving dish and hold.
3. Prepare the chestnuts by first melting the 2 tablespoons of butter into a sauté pan and sauté the celery on a medium heat. After 2 minutes add the chopped chestnuts and the maple syrup to the celery and cook together until incorporated. Finish the chestnuts with the sage and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the chestnut mixture over the sweet potatoes and serve.

Maker’s Mark® Double-Nut Pecan Pie

Recipe by Elizabeth Karmel, Executive Chef, Hill Country Barbecue Market

Prep Time: 2 hours. Cook Time: 1 hour. Level: Easy.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 cup whole pecans
¾ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup granulated white sugar
½ cup dark corn syrup
¼ cup light corn syrup
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Maker’s Mark®
1 pre-baked 9-inch pie shell*

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Put chopped nuts into the bottom of the prebaked pie shell and set aside.
2. Combine melted butter, granulated sugar, the dark and light corn syrups, eggs, vanilla extract and bourbon.
3. Pour this mixture on top of chopped nuts. Place a decorative row of whole pecans on the top. Bake about 50-60 minutes on the center rack of the oven or until cooked through. The pie will spring back on top but still giggle a little until it cools. If the top is getting too dark before the center is done, tent with aluminum foil.
4. Cool for a minimum of three hours. The pie is best made the day before.

*Note: Pre-bake the pie shell according to package directions at least two hours beforehand to allow time to cool.

Note from Chef Karmel: “The classic pecan pie made better with the addition of both chopped and whole pecans and a splash of both vanilla and Bourbon. Serve with Maker’s Mark® spiked whipped cream for a double treat!”