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    Home » Recipes » Cocktails

    Published: Nov 5, 2022 · Modified: Nov 5, 2022 by Pate Giltner 4 Comments

    Bourbon Apple Cider Old Fashioned

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    This festive bourbon apple cider old-fashioned is a delicious way to celebrate fall, Thanksgiving, and the Holidays! It's made with bourbon, spiced apple cider, and homemade rosemary cinnamon syrup. It's warm, refreshing, and full of fall apple cider flavor!

    This apple cider bourbon cocktail is easy and has all the best flavors of fall! Use your favorite apple cider, rim the glass with brown sugar, garnish with apples and let the fall festivities begin!

    Overhead shot of an apple cider old fashioned garnished with 3 slices of apples, cranberries, cinnamon and rosemary.
    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works:
    • Key Ingredients 
    • How to make this recipe:
    • Substitutions: 
    • FAQ
    • Looking for more Fall recipes? Check these out!
    • Bourbon Apple Cider Old Fashioned

    Why this recipe works:

    This is the perfect cocktail for festive fall occasions! I love apple cider and try to utilize its flavor in a lot of recipes all season long, and this old fashioned is a classic.

    The cinnamon rosemary simple syrup adds subtle flavor and depth to the bourbon and cider and really transforms it into a well-rounded cocktail. The flavors make it the perfect drink to celebrate Fall, Thanksgiving, or Christmas!

    This Kentucky Mule with Maple Ginger Syrup and Sparkling Fall Thanksgiving Margarita are a few other cocktails perfect for the fall season. 

    The ingredients for the old fashioned on a red table.

    Key Ingredients 

    Bourbon: This is a bourbon-based cocktail, and the bourbon flavor comes through, so using a top-shelf and high-quality bourbon is key to a delicious-tasting drink. You can use any bourbon you like! I used Woodford Reserve for this recipe, but Old Forester 1910, Willett, or Angels Envy would also be good with these flavors.

    Rosemary Cinnamon Syrup: This is an easy, simple syrup made from sugar, cinnamon sticks, and fresh rosemary. 

    Spiced Apple Cider: the bulk of this recipe is apple cider so use your favorite! My go-to is the Trader Joe's spiced cider.  

    How to make this recipe:

    Saucepan with prepared syrup and with cinnamon sticks and rosemary.

    Start by making the syrup. Combine the water, sugar, rosemary, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and Cook it on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

    An old fashioned glass rimmed with brown sugar with a large ice cube in the center.

    Add ½ oz of the syrup to a brown sugar-rimmed glass with ice.

    Bourbon has been added to the same glass.

    Then add 1 ½ oz of bourbon.

    Apple cider and garnishes of sliced apples, cranberries, and rosemary have been added to the glass.

    And then, top with apple cider, and garnish with apple slices and a cinnamon stick.

    Tip: dip the glasses in a bit of the syrup, then roll the edges in brown sugar for a secure and longer-lasting sugar rim.

    Substitutions: 

    • You could also rim the glass in cinnamon sugar. 
    • You could easily switch out the simple homemade syrup for store-bought cinnamon syrup.

    FAQ

    What makes an Old Fashioned?

    An Old Fashioned is traditionally made by muddling sugar and bitters together and then adding bourbon and garnishing with an orange slice and a cocktail cherry. This apple cider version omits the orange and cherry for cider.

    What bourbon is best for this recipe?

    Woodford Reserve, Willet Pot Still, Angels Envy, and Four Roses Small Batch are all great options.

    How long will the simple syrup last and how many cocktails will it make?

    The syrup will last up to 2 weeks refridgerated in a sealed container and will make about 8-10 cocktails.

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    Print
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    Overhead shot of an apple cider old fashioned garnished with 3 slices of apples, cranberries, cinnamon and rosemary.

    Bourbon Apple Cider Old Fashioned

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
    • Author: Pate Giltner
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
    • Category: Cocktail
    • Method: Stirred
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This festive bourbon apple cider old-fashioned is a delicious way to celebrate fall, Thanksgiving, and the Holidays! It's made with bourbon, spiced apple cider, and homemade rosemary cinnamon syrup.


    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    For the syrup:

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • 8 cinnamon sticks
    • 2 sprigs rosemary

    For the cocktail:

    • ½ oz cinnamon rosemary syrup
    • 1 ½ oz bourbon
    • 3 ounces apple cider
    • About 3 tablespoons brown sugar, apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary for garnish.

    Instructions

    • Start by making the syrup. Combine the water, sugar, rosemary, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and cook it on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Sit aside to cool.
    • Add ½ oz of the syrup to a brown sugar-rimmed glass with ice.
    • Then add 1 ½ oz of bourbon.
    • And then, top with apple cider, and garnish with apple slices. 

    Notes

    Tip: dip the glasses in a bit of the syrup, then roll the edges in brown sugar for a secure and longer-lasting sugar rim.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @thegandmkitchen — I can't wait to see what you've made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elizabeth says

      November 05, 2022 at 11:55 am

      This had the perfect balance of apple cider to bourbon!

      Reply
    2. Alaina says

      September 30, 2023 at 9:36 pm

      Where did you get those glasses? Is there a link?

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        October 03, 2023 at 11:36 am

        Hi! They are from Viski Craft!

        Reply
    3. Terri says

      October 11, 2023 at 12:33 pm

      These were so good at our Halloween party!

      Reply

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    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake
    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake

    About Pate

    Hi! I'm Pate, the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind The G&M Kitchen!

    Raised in the heart of Kentucky, I come from a long line of passionate cooks and bakers. The kitchen was always the heart of our home, where we transformed vegetables into delightful dishes and crafted pies and cakes that emerged from the oven. This tradition of coming together through food and cooking inspired the name of my blog, The G&M Kitchen – 'G' for my father's family, the Giltners, and 'M' for my mother's family, the Millers.

    I also believe if a recipe is missing something, it's probably bourbon.

    Learn more about me →

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    Here at The G&M Kitchen, you will find southern-inspired baking recipes with a modern twist that are easy, elegant, and fun! Everything is made from scratch, designed for the home kitchen, and is simply delicious!

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    As featured in: thefeedfeed, Sur La Table, Bake From Scratch, Foodtography School, The Bourbon Review, Bringing it Home

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