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Cozy Bourbon Apple Cider Old Fashioned: Easy Fall Cocktail

bourbon apple cider old fashioned - featured image
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This recipe takes the classic Old Fashioned and gives it a seasonal upgrade with rich apple cider, warm maple syrup, and a hint of cinnamon. It is the kind of drink you make when you want to slow down, when the air has that crisp bite, and when you need something that feels both special and completely unfussy.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 2 ounces apple cider
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • 1 large ice cube
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 orange peel
  • Star anise (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare your glass: Place your large ice cube in a heavy-bottomed rocks glass. If you do not have a large cube, use 2-3 regular sized ice cubes. Set the glass aside for a moment.
  2. Muddle the aromatics: In your mixing glass (or directly in the rocks glass if you are careful), add the maple syrup and both dashes of Angostura and orange bitters. Use your muddler or the back of a spoon to gently stir and press the mixture together for about 10 seconds. You are not trying to crush anything — just combine them into a slightly syrupy paste.
  3. Add the bourbon: Pour in the 2 ounces of bourbon. Give it a gentle stir with your bar spoon to incorporate the bitters mixture. Do not shake it — an Old Fashioned is always stirred, never shaken.
  4. Add the apple cider: Pour in the 2 ounces of apple cider. Stir again, gently, for about 15 seconds. You want everything to be well combined and slightly chilled.
  5. Pour over ice: If you muddled in a separate mixing glass, pour the mixture over your prepared ice cube in the rocks glass. If you muddled directly in the serving glass, you are already set.
  6. Express the orange peel: Take your strip of orange peel, holding it by the edges with the colored side facing the drink. Give it a firm twist over the glass to release the essential oils. Rub the peel around the rim of the glass, then drop it in.
  7. Garnish and serve: Place a cinnamon stick into the glass, slightly angled. Add a star anise if you are using one.

Notes

Do not skip expressing the orange peel; it changes the aroma and flavor. Use a single large ice cube to slow dilution. For a party, batch the bourbon, apple cider, maple syrup, and bitters in a pitcher and refrigerate. Serve over fresh ice and garnish.

Nutrition

Keywords: bourbon apple cider old fashioned, fall cocktail, easy cocktail, bourbon cocktail, apple cider cocktail, old fashioned recipe

Find it online: https://lemonydrinks.com/cozy-bourbon-apple-cider-old-fashioned-easy-fall-cocktail/