Cocktails › Classics › Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail
Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail
The fall pour that tastes like an orchard visit with a bourbon backbone. An Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail opens with fresh apple, turns warm and round as the bourbon lands, and finishes with maple, lemon brightness, and a whisper of baking spice from the bitters and the cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 2oz (60ml) bourbon
- 3oz (90ml) fresh apple cider
- 0.5oz (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 0.5oz (15ml) maple syrup
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- 1 large ice cube or plenty of fresh ice
- Thin apple slice, for garnish
- Cinnamon stick, for garnish
Method
- Add the bourbon, the apple cider, the lemon juice, the maple syrup, and the bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir for about 20 seconds until the drink is well chilled and the outside of the glass feels frosty.
- Fill a rocks glass with a large ice cube or plenty of fresh ice.
- Strain the drink over the fresh ice so it stays cold and clear to the last sip.
- Rest the apple slice on the ice and set the cinnamon stick in the glass, then serve at once.
Tip: Reach for fresh unfiltered cider from the produce aisle, never the sparkling kind and never hard cider, because the cloudy fresh juice is where the orchard flavour lives. Ciders vary a lot in sweetness, so taste before you pour the full maple measure. A tart cider takes the whole half ounce gladly, while a sweet cider may need only half of it and one extra dash of bitters to stay in balance.
Serve It With
Our sister site Cooking with Dade pairs it with Easy Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Sauce.
Variations
- Warm Spiced Version. Warm the cider gently in a small pot with two whole cloves and the cinnamon stick until it steams, then take it off the heat before it boils. Build the drink in a heat safe mug without ice, stir in the bourbon, the lemon, the maple, and the bitters, and serve it warm on the coldest nights of the season.
- Sparkling Orchard Version. Cut the still cider back to two ounces, build the drink as written, and top the glass with a slow pour of sparkling apple cider. The bubbles lift the apple, lighten the maple, and turn a cozy fall pour into something bright enough for a party tray.
Questions
What is in an Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail?
Bourbon, fresh apple cider, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and aromatic bitters. The drink is stirred with ice, strained over fresh ice in a rocks glass, and garnished with a thin apple slice and a cinnamon stick.
What kind of apple cider works best in this cocktail?
Fresh unfiltered cider, the cloudy kind sold cold in the produce aisle. It carries real orchard flavour and gentle tartness. Hard cider and sparkling cider change the drink completely, adding alcohol or bubbles the recipe never asked for.
Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider?
You can, but the glass will taste thinner and sweeter, because clear apple juice has lost the tart edge and the soft texture of fresh cider. If juice is all you have, pull the maple syrup back a little and add one extra dash of bitters.
What bourbon works best with apple cider?
A straight bourbon with warm vanilla, caramel, and a touch of baking spice works best, because those notes fold straight into the apple and the maple. Very delicate bourbons can fade behind the cider, so pick a bottle with enough body to hold the middle of the drink.
Can I make an Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail ahead of time?
Yes. Stir the full batch without ice, keep it cold in a sealed pitcher for up to a day, and pour each serve over fresh ice when guests are ready. Add the apple slice and the cinnamon stick at serving time so the garnish stays fresh.