This Apple Cider Whiskey Sour is the perfect chilly weather cocktail! Warm cinnamon spice, whiskey and lemon juice get added to this wonderful apple cider cocktail to make it a delicious hit. Enjoy responsibly, of course!
With the holiday season upon us, I am looking forward to getting to spend time with loved ones! Holiday parties are my jam and I am craving some social time gathered with family and friends over delicious food and drinks.
I have started to plan our menus and all the yummy goodies I will be making this season! No surprise there, I am forever thinking about my menus! Anyone else have food on the brain all the time?
While I am all about the delicious apps, mains and desserts, cocktails are often overlooked when it comes to parties. Well, there will be none of that anymore! While I rarely drink alcohol, I sure do appreciate a special, seasonal drink on special occasions.
My apple cider whiskey sour is just that. Perfect for the colder months with its warm spices. The whiskey also helps warm you up too. Ha! But if you do not drink alcohol, you could even leave out the whiskey and just enjoy it as a mocktail.
What is a whiskey sour?
Whiskey sours are essentially whiskey, lemon juice and sugar (in the form of a simple syrup). Traditional recipes also include an egg white but you’ll find that this is often left out of modern-day recipes. I personally can’t bring myself to risk raw egg whites.
What is in an Apple Cider Whiskey Sour?
This Apple Cider Whiskey Sour adds apple cider to a traditional whiskey sour recipe. Well, that much should be obvious from the title! But I have also taken things up a notch by making my simple syrup with cinnamon for an added warm-spice element.
So basically, to make this apple cider whiskey sour you will need apple cider, whiskey, fresh lemon juice, and a simple syrup made with cinnamon.
The end result is a sweeter take on a whiskey sour with a hint of cinnamon shining through. The apple cider definitely adds a lot of sweetness to this cocktail which, for me, makes it more enjoyable to drink. If that’s not your thing, you can easily adjust the amount of apple cider to suit your own preferences.
How do you make simple syrup?
Simple syrup is so incredibly easy to make at home. To make it, you need equal parts sugar and water. Just simmer them together in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then let the liquid cool.
Once a simple syrup is cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a jar with a secure lid and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Typically, they last for a few weeks when stored this way. Flavored simple syrups will not last as long (typically 1-2 weeks).
To make the flavored simple syrup for this recipe, I added cinnamon sticks to the syrup as it simmered on the stove. This is a super simple and easy way to add a little something extra to a cocktail and the results are always wonderful!
Basically, to make cinnamon simple syrup, I added equal parts water and sugar (I used 3/4 cups of each) to a saucepan along with 2 sticks of cinnamon. Then I let them simmer over medium low heat until the sugar dissolved. Once dissolved I let it cool completely and then stored it in the fridge.
How do you make an Apple Cider Whiskey Sour
Assembling this apple cider cocktail is super easy to do! In a cocktail shaker or a jar with a secure lid (a mason jar comes in handy here!), add the apple cider, whiskey, fresh lemon juice, and cinnamon simple syrup. Shake it all with some ice and then strain it into a glass filled with ice.
Repeat to make as many cocktails as you need!
I hope you enjoy this apple cider cocktail as much as we do! Remember to enjoy them responsibly!
Happy Holidays!
-Cathy
You may also like these other Holiday Cocktails:
Apple Cider Whiskey Sour
Ingredients
To make 1 cocktail:
- 3 oz apple cider (adjust to suit your desired level of sweetness)
- 2 oz whiskey
- 3/4 oz cinnamon simple syrup (see below for recipe)
- 1 oz lemon juice
- cinnamon stick for garnish (optional)
Cinnamon Simple Syrup
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add all of the ingredients for the cinnamon simple syrup. Simmer over medium heat for a couple of minutes, until sugar dissolves. Remove the cinnamon sticks and let cool.*
- To make 1 cocktail, add the apple cider, whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve.
Notes
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
Hello, I love the idea for this cocktail. What about instead of adding the apple cider (making this a sweeter drink) you make a cinnamon apple sweet reduction and run it through a sieve to make an apple cider syrup? Keeps the sweetness in check but adds a nice concentrated apple flavor.