If you love apple cider, this bourbon apple cider cocktail should go onto your happy hour drink list! Crisp apple flavor blends beautifully with bourbon, add a hint of cinnamon, and you have the perfect fall cocktail!
We are loving the cooler fall weather!! Get ready for the weekend with these delicious Cocktail Recipes.
Fall is all about flavor. We have an uncle who has an enormous apple tree in his backyard. Each year he picks a lot of the apples and makes a homemade apple cider out of it. He serves it at our family Thanksgiving celebration every year.
Although I don't have his homemade apple cider to make this bourbon apple cider, I created this cocktail as a tribute :-).
Bourbon Cocktails
Bourbon is my drink of choice for this recipe. It has a sweet mellow flavor that works so well with the cinnamon and apple flavors.
I admit I am partial to bourbon, and if you love bourbon like I do, you will want to try this Crushed Grape Bourbon Cocktail, or this Tropical White Peach and Bourbon Cocktail!!
TIP: One valuable lesson I learned when making this cocktail recipe is to choose what I use to make the rim sticky more carefully. I used honey along the rim and then dipped the rim in coarse sugar and cinnamon. What I didn't foresee was the honey running down the glass 🙁
The next time I use honey, I would use a Q-tip to apply just a tiny bit of honey to the rim. This should prevent dripping! Pretty picture, or not so pretty, this bourbon cider cocktail is so worth making!!
If you aren't a bourbon drinker, you can use several different liquors in this cocktail. Some are better than others. it all comes down to this question:
What alcohol goes best with apple cider?
- Rum works well with apple cider because it is on the sweeter side. You could even drizzle a little dark rum on top
- Honey Liquor is really good if you want something different. I used honey liquor in these Honey Strawberry Gin Cocktails, and it was delicious!
- Vodka will work in this cocktail, but it will not turn out as sweet.
What kind of apple cider is best for this bourbon cider cocktail?
The word cider is a little generic. For this cocktail, you want a cider made with crisp, slightly tart apples if you can find that. My favorites are:
- Gravenstein apple cider
- Fuji apple cider
- Fresh ciders from the farmer's market are especially good
I really like the jug of apple cider that I found at Trader Joe's. Whole Foods has these big jugs too. Keep your eye out at the farmer's market or farm stand as those apple ciders are really fresh!
Are you ready to try this Bourbon Apple Cider recipe?
What else can you spike apple cider with?
We love to spike our apple cider...here are some of our favorite liquors: dark rum, whiskey, vodka, and white run.
Tools:
- A cocktail shaker and strainer set makes chilling this cocktail a breeze!
- Your favorite bourbon!
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Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail
Ingredients
- 3 ounces bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shaker.
- Put on the lid and shake.
- Use the strainer to pour into two glasses.
- This bourbon apple cider cocktail can be served straight up or on the rocks.
- Optional, rub honey along the rim and dip into cinnamon sugar
Nutrition
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Debra C.
I so desperately want to head up to Apple Hill east of Sacramento for apples and cider and all things fall. Now with this drink it's a MUST 😀 Fall is such a wonderful time of the year and I'm looking forward to celebrating with this delicious drink - cheers!
Sandi Gaertner
I didn't know there was an Apple Hill where you could pick apples. It sounds beautiful!