Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Lemon Chiffon Pie Cocktail inspired by National Pie Day! Sponsored by the American Pie Council (yes, that’s a real thing!), this mock holiday lets us all celebrate one of the best desserts guilt-free. And what’s more, today’s DOTD comes in both cocktail AND mocktail forms!
While pie exists in some form all over the world, the United States has an inextricable relationship with the flaky dessert. From Don McLean’s epic song “American Pie” to expressions like “as American as apple pie,” our country embraces the pie — apple in particular — as a symbol of national pride.
Whether you prefer Apple, Cherry, Blueberry, Pumpkin, Chocolate Silk, traditional fruit pies, savory pies, or even whipped cream-style pies used for comedy, no pie is left behind on this holiday!
HISTORY OF PIE
One of the oldest prepared foods, pie shows up in written recipes dating back as far as the ancient Romans. The first known pie recipe was for a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie. The Romans made pies with a variety of meats, seafood, and fruit, and developed a dense pie called placenta, similar to cheesecake. At sumptuous Roman feasts, pie played a role in several courses.
Until recently, pie crust was mostly used as a vehicle for filling. Unlike many of today’s luscious, buttery crusts, early pie crusts often didn’t get eaten at all. The crust acted as a container to keep the meat moist and prevent it from burning.
Pies first appeared in England in the 12th century, still mostly filled with meat. The dubious origin of some pie fillings gave rise to jokes and horror stories, including the sensational yet gruesome ones that would become the musical “Sweeney Todd.”
When the Puritans and other English settlers fled for the New World, they took pie with them - though at the first Thanksgiving feasts in America, traditional sweet pies like pumpkin, pecan, and sweet potato pies didn’t make an appearance. Pumpkin pie didn’t even become popular until the 1800s. Today, sweet pies overwhelmingly outsell savory pies, and pumpkin pie is an enduring fixture of the Thanksgiving meal.
Not to be confused with National Pi Day, National Pie Day has nothing to do with math and everything to do with that sweet American treat. Created in the 1970s by Charlie Papazian (who conveniently placed the day on his birthday), National Pie Day encourages us all to take a break with America’s favorite dessert.
NATIONAL PIE DAY TRADITIONS
Celebrating National Pie Day is as easy as eating one of these slices of heaven, or going all-out and hosting pie-eating contests or a pie bake-off! Pie is an all-American indulgence and every year people enthusiastically bake pies, try new flavors, exchange recipes, and give them to loved ones and colleagues.
The holiday also gives food marketing professionals some extra work as cafes and restaurants have promotions or special menu additions today to celebrate pie.
PIE BY THE NUMBERS (Not, not that one)
6000 BC – the earliest date pie is traced back to.
186 million – pies are sold in stores each year in America alone.
10,540kg – was the weight of the largest pie ever baked.
47% – of Americans think pie is comforting.
$9500 – is the price of the world’s most expensive pie
1 in 5 – Americans admit they’ve eaten a whole pie by themselves.
9% – Americans prefer eating the crust first.
1644 – was the year pie was banned by Oliver Cromwell, in England, for being a pagan form of pleasure.
18% – of men say their wives bake the best pie.
4 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PIE
The song ‘American Pie’ remains mostly unexplained
Though we know that “the day the music died” refers to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and others, Don McLean has remained famously mum about the meaning of the song’s other enigmatic lyrics.
Getting ‘pied’ dates back to the silent film era
Laurel & Hardy’s 1927 film The Battle of the Century featured a pie fight that used around 4,000 pies.
Pie might taste best at the Bradys’
In a 2008 survey, 40% of respondents agreed that Carol Brady, of all TV moms, would bake the best pie.
Walter White’s iconic pizza pie scene spawned copycats
After the success of the show Breaking Bad, a few fans recreated a memorable scene by throwing pizza onto the roof of the house where it was filmed. Unfortunately, the current owners didn’t appreciate the reenactment and installed a fence to keep overzealous groupies at bay.
Whatever your favorite kind of pie, we hope you enjoy today’s Drink Of The Day, a Lemon Chiffon Pie Cocktail inspired by National Pie Day!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
