Apple pie liqueur has bit of a bite to it
Tavern owners offer their spin on a state tradition
By MICHAEL MUCKIAN
Special to the Journal Sentinel
Springfield - Step into a tavern in rural Wisconsin, and more likely than not the owner will, upon request, be able to pull out his homemade version of apple pie liqueur.
As a new tavern owner, Travis Hasse decided he’d best join this Badger State tradition: blending of a rich mash of fruit and spices with neutral grain spirits to produce the McIntosh equivalent of cherry bounce.
The result is Original Apple Pie Liqueur, produced and marketed by Hasse, 31, and his wife Carly, 32, who together own the historic Missouri Tavern just north of Madison in the Town of Springfield.
But the Hasses weren’t content to just sell it to tavern customers. Their 40-proof liqueur is produced by BPNC, a contract distiller in Temperance, Mich., and distributed by General Beverage Sales.
“The Missouri Tavern had been producing the base mash here for years, then mixing it with Everclear (grain alcohol) and selling it by the drink,” says Hasse, who purchased the tavern at auction in April 2006 after the original owner, Mae Mefford, died at the age of 101.
“This is the first time I know of that this product has been bottled for sale.”
The Original Apple Pie Liqueur blends neutral grain spirits with apple juice, cinnamon and spices, producing a fragrant, flavorful libation with a distinct apple pie quality. The first batch of 1,700 cases came out of the distillery Aug. 18, and Hasse marketed 150 cases in the first week of availability. The liqueur was formally introduced earlier this month to the Milwaukee market, where it’s sold in select liquor stores and supermarkets.
The liqueur can be enjoyed on the rocks, as a martini or as a shot served hot or cold.
Both the liqueur and tavern are first-time entrepreneurial endeavors for Travis Hasse, who previously worked in marketing for Humana Inc. in Middleton, and for Carly Hasse, who still teaches physical education and coaches swimming at Verona Area High School south of Madison.
Neither had been in the alcoholic beverage business before purchasing the tavern “other than as happy customers,” Travis Hasse says.
The Missouri Tavern was opened in 1940 by Mefford and her husband, Albert “Missouri Al” Mefford, and served as tavern, convenience store, gas station and home to the couple and their family. Mae Mefford took over operations when her husband died in the mid-1970s and ran the tavern as a sole proprietorship until a year before she died.
The bar area was characterized by a potbelly stove and castoff overstuffed living room furniture. A “no-profanity” rule in the bar was strictly enforced by Mefford, who lived in the rear of the building.
Today, the Missouri Tavern has more of a roadhouse feel, playing host to groups of bicyclists who use the bike trail that now runs in front and parallel with U.S. 12, and motorcyclists, who stop on their way to and from Madison.
On Sept. 27, the tavern will host its first Mae Fest to raise college scholarship money for Town of Springfield Township teens.
In addition to running the tavern, the Hasses will continue to market their apple pie liqueur, which by year’s end they expect will be distributed in 15 states and New York City. The pair also plan on someday introducing companion liqueurs.
“We have several other ‘pie’ flavors in mind,” Travis Hasse says, “but I need to concentrate on building this brand first.”
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