Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail
Fall cocktails are some of my favorite cocktails. The flavors of fall lend so well to drinking and they’re so warming and cozy. This year, I have a feeling I’ll be making this Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail quite often! It’s crisp and refreshing, and highlights one of my favorite fall ingredients—apple cider, of course!
I created this Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail a couple weeks ago. I wanted something fun to drink after work one evening, and wanted to get a little more creative than my usual Old Fashioned. This seemed like a great opportunity to open the bottle of fresh apple cider I’d just bought. Add some whiskey, lemon juice for a little tartness and balance, and a touch of sweetness, and that’s a delicious fall sipper. Honestly, even if you aren’t a big fan of bourbon, you’d like this cocktail.
If you can get a locally made apple cider, use that. I’ve found those are better made and not as sweet as mass produced apple ciders you usually find in grocery stores. I got my apple cider at Fairmount Orchard up on Signal Mountain. And of course I used my favorite Chattanooga Whiskey 91. I definitely recommend a bourbon for this rather than a rye or whiskey. It needs the smoothness of the bourbon rather than a spicy bite from rye or whiskey.
I tried this apple cider cocktail with maple syrup and honey syrup. The maple syrup is great for some extra fall vibes, but I thought the honey syrup was a little milder and worked better with the other flavors. To make honey syrup, just mix equal parts honey and boiling water, and stir until the honey is dissolved into the water. Boom – honey syrup! You can make it stronger by using more honey, but an equal-parts syrup is fine for this cocktail.
Let’s make a Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail!
To make it, you will need these ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Apple cider
- 2 oz Your favorite whiskey or bourbon
- 0.5 oz Lemon juice
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 0.5 oz Honey syrup or pure maple syrup
If you like more tart cocktails, you can increase the lemon juice to 0.75 oz.
This is a shaken cocktail, so you will need a cocktail shaker. If you don’t have one, a mason jar works just as well. This cocktail is served in a rocks glass over ice.
This cocktail is so easy to make! First, add all the ingredients to your shaker or jar. Then add a handful of ice and shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds, until the outside of the shaker is frosty.
Add ice to your rocks glass. Double strain your cocktail into your glass. Garnish with an apple slice and enjoy! You could even add a little dusting of cinnamon on top if you wanted.
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Bourbon & Apple Cider Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon or whiskey
- 1.5 oz apple cider
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
- 0.5 oz lemon juice
- 0.5 oz honey syrup
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker or mason jar.
- Add ice and shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds, until the outside of the shaker is frosty.
- Double strain the cocktail into a rocks glass over ice.
- Garnish with an apple slice.
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