This Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail is a perfectly balanced combination of apple cider, bourbon whiskey, maple syrup, and fresh lemon juice. It's a delicious, easy cocktail recipe for Fall!
I love to make fun cocktails at home, but they have to be simple, and they can't require a bunch of ingredients that I'll never use again. I love to create cocktails with fresh ingredients like my Watermelon Vodka Cocktail or my Gin Basil Smash, and cocktails with just a few ingredients like my 3-ingredient French Gimlet!
And today, I am sharing my favorite Fall cocktail: a Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail. It is so easy to make and has bold flavors from apple cider and vanilla-y bourbon whiskey and a dash of bitters. This is the perfect drink to make all Autumn long!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is so easy to make!
- And it only requires 5 basic ingredients.
- This Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail is the perfect drink recipe for Fall!
- It is perfectly balanced and so flavorful.
- And most importantly, it is absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Bourbon Whiskey: I used Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey, but use your favorite! I also love to use Blanton's Bourbon for cocktails like my Maple Old Fashioned.
Apple Cider: Do not substitute apple juice!
Angostura Bitters: Angostura bitters has a delicious herbal flavor that adds complexity to this cocktail recipe.
Fresh Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice balances the sweetness of the apple cider.
Instructions
Step 1. First, combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small, shallow bowl.
Then, rub a lemon wedge along half of the rim of the glass and place the rim into the sugar mixture.
Set the prepared glass aside.
Step 2. Into a cocktail shaker, add apple cider, bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, maple syrup, and bitters.
Add a few large ice cubes to the shaker, then place the lid on and shake for 15-20 seconds or until the liquid is very cold.
Fill the prepared glass with ice, then strain the Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail into the glass.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve.
Recipe FAQs
My top picks are bourbon, whiskey, and rum. I do not recommend gin!
Bourbon is a type of whiskey. Bourbon can only be produced in the United States, and its mash has to be over half corn. And Kentucky Straight Bourbon can only be produced in Kentucky.
Apple cider is unfiltered, which gives it a darker and cloudier appearance. The lack of filtration also deepens cider's flavor.
Expert Recipe Tips
You can skip the brown sugar rim altogether if you like, but I think it looks great and tastes great! Or you can rub the lemon around the entire rim so the sugar sticks all the way around.
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📖 Recipe
Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Jigger for measuring
- 1 Glass
Ingredients
For the Brown Sugar Rim
- ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
For the Cocktail
- 4 oz Apple Cider
- 2 oz Bourbon Whiskey See note!
- ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
- 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
- To Garnish: Cinnamon Sticks or Apple Slices optional
Instructions
Prepare the Glass
- In a shallow bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir well. Then, rub a lemon wedge along half of the rim of a glass. Place the rim into the sugar mixture and twist. Set the prepared glass aside. See note.¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar, ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Make the Cocktail
- In a cocktail shaker, combine apple cider, bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup, and bitters. Add a few large ice cubes, place the lid onto the shaker and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds.4 oz Apple Cider, 2 oz Bourbon Whiskey, ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice, 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters, 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
- Place a few large ice cubes into the prepared glass, then strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or thinly sliced apple and serve!To Garnish: Cinnamon Sticks or Apple Slices
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