Ryan Wisniewski
The “cozy factor” at Forequarter, 708 E. Johnson St., increases exponentially as temperatures start to drop. The latest fall menu, aglow in candlelight on a recent October evening, lists two new cocktails, the Maize en Place (rum, corn, cream, cinnamon and nutmeg) and the American Pie.
The bistro’s beverage director, Mark Bystrom, says that the American Pie was a collaborative effort by the bar team to recreate a Corpse Reviver No. 1, essentially a manhattan made with Calvados. The use of an apple brandy seemed appropriate (it is fall in Wisconsin, after all). After a few failed attempts, including a batch made with pimento dram (an allspice liqueur), sweet vermouth was swapped out for house-made bianco vermouth. Pear eau de vie was added to balance the apple brandy. Add amaro, rye whiskey and four dashes of orange bitters and voila, and you have an American Pie. With its fruit flavors from the brandies and mellow cinnamon from the vermouth, the drink is a nod to the dessert, not the movie or the song of the same name. It’s served straight up in one of Forequarter’s unique bar glasses and is a tasty reminder that practice makes perfect.
