The Spiced Apple Cider Old Fashioned is another seasonal take on the classic structure, leaning into autumn flavors. It builds on the same template but shifts the profile toward warmth and spice. Drinks like this are about tone as much as taste.
Apple cider and spice add softness and depth to the base spirit. The bitterness is still there but less pronounced. The result feels more rounded.
Why Lush Life Loves It
I like this when I want something that fits the season without trying too hard. It keeps the Old Fashioned structure intact. It just nudges it in a different direction.
Here is the recipe
Spiced Apple Cider Old Fashioned
Learn how to make a Spiced Apple Cider Old Fashioned with reduced apple cider, bourbon, and warm fall spices. A cozy, easy cocktail perfect for autumn.
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
- ½ oz reduced apple cider*
- 1 tsp demerara sugar syrup (optional if cider is sweet)
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 1 dash cinnamon bitters (or a small pinch of ground cinnamon)
- Orange peel
- Garnish: apple slice or cinnamon stick, optional
- ice cube
Instructions
- *How to Reduce Apple Cider: Simmer 1 cup apple cider in a small saucepan until it reduces by roughly half. Cool before using. This concentrates flavor and gives the drink structure.
- Add bourbon, reduced apple cider, bitters, and (if needed) demerara syrup to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until well chilled—about 20 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass over one large cube.
- Express an orange peel over the drink, then drop it in.
- Garnish with an apple slice or a cinnamon stick if you want a stronger aromatic finish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 0.01gFat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 20mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 0.1IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.3mg
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