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    Recipes » Drinks

    Apple Cider Whiskey Sour with Smoked Cinnamon

    Published: Oct 22, 2022 · Modified: May 27, 2023 by The Sage Apron - This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This apple cider bourbon cocktail is the perfect balance of sweet, sour, apple and Autumn spice! An apple whiskey sour is the perfect cocktail to enjoy throughout the Fall months and on special occasions like Halloween and Thanksgiving!

    An apple cider whiskey sour garnished with a smoking cinnamon stick

    This Autumn bourbon cocktail makes the perfect seasonal aperitif. It's a great recipe at a cocktail party with our Savory Pear Tartlets or before a cozy dinner with Cider Braised Chicken Thighs with Bacon & Shallots!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Shaking Up An Apple Cider Sour
    • More Cocktails You May Like…
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make an apple cider bourbon cocktail
    Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
    • Whiskey - We are using Four Roses Bourbon, it’s one of our favorite bourbons for mixing. However, you can use any bourbon or rye for this cocktail. It’s also delicious with brandy.
    • Apple Cider - We made our Homemade Apple Cider for this whiskey sour recipe. It’s easy to make, makes your house smell amazing and is fabulous to have on hand for kids, cocktails, and holiday punch recipes. We serve it hot, cold, in cocktails and even in baking recipes like our Jewish Apple Cake with Cider Glaze! If you’re not making your own cider, we recommend buying freshly-pressed orchard cider with lots of sediment! (That’s where all the flavor is!)
    • Amoro di Angostora - This ingredient is KEY for bringing spice, balance and complexity to this cocktail. A little goes a long way and its’ an intriguing ingredient to have on your back bar. We love it in all sorts of cocktails from sours, to manhattans, digestifs and even espresso martinis.
    • Lime Juice - Freshly-squeezed, please! You can make this drink with lemon, too.
    • Simple Syrup - We use a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water.
    • Smoked Cinnamon Garnish- Totally optional but a very enticing garnish with amazing aromatics. You can also opt for a dehydrated apple slice or a clove-studded lime wheel, instead.

    Shaking Up An Apple Cider Sour

    This apple cider whiskey sour is a simple shaken cocktail that is easy to make (& easier to drink)!

    1. In a cocktail tin, combine all ingredients (except for the garnish).
    2. Add ice and shake vigirously for 30 seconds or until icy cold.
    3. Double strain this cocktail through a Hawthorne and fine mesh cocktail strainer. You can serve it up in a martini glass, on small rocks or over a large cube, like we did.
    4. Garnish the drink as desired. For a smoked cinnamon garnish, use a lighter to ignite the end of a dried cinnamon stick. After a moment, the flame will extinguish and leave an aromatic plume of cinnamon smoke wafting around the glass. Cheers!
    Straining an apple cider cocktail into the glass

    Pro Tip: Cinnamon Not Smokin’? - If your cinnamon sticks are not easily catching fire, they may not be dry enough. This is common in humid climates. To help dry them out, you can bake the cinnamon sticks on a baking tray at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 - 15 minutes. Cool completely before handling.

    Using a lighter to light the end of a cinnamon stick garnish on fire

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    Did you make this recipe?
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    Recipe

    An apple cider whiskey sour with smoked cinnamon

    Apple Cider Whiskey Sour

    Author: The Sage Apron
    This delicous apple cider cocktail is perfect for Fall! It’s sweet, sour, spiced and loaded with apple-y flavor!
    4.60 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time 5 minutes minutes
    Yield 1 Cocktail
    Course Aperetif, Happy Hour
    Cuisine American, New American

    ADJUST SERVINGS

    Special Equipment

    • 1 Cocktail Shaker
    • 1 Hawthorne Cocktail Strainer
    • 1 Fine-Mesh Cocktail/Tea Strainer
    • 1 Lighter (Optional for smoked cinnamon garnish)

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 ounces whiskey bourbon or rye
    • 3 ounces apple cider We used our Homemade Apple Cider Recipe
    • ½ ounce Amaro di Angostura
    • ¾ ounce lime juice freshly-squeezed
    • ½ ounce simple syrup
    • Ice as needed, for shaking and serving
    • 1 cinnamon stick** Optional garnish

    Instructions
     

    • In a cocktail tin, combine whiskey, apple cider, amaro di angostura, lime juice and simple syrup. Top with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or until ice cold.
    • Strain through a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer up (in a martini glass) or into a glass with ice.
    • If using, place a cinnamon stick on the rim of your serving glass. Light the end of the cinnamon stick. After a moment, the fire will extinguish and aromatic cinnamon smoke will swirl around the glass. Enjoy!

    Notes

    ** You can also garnish this cocktail with fresh or dehydrated apple slices or a lime wheel studded with whole cloves. 
    * A Note About Salt

    Unless otherwise noted, all recipes on The Sage Apron are developed using Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. It is a great all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If using table salt, reduce quantities by about half.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
    Let's Keep In TouchFollow us on Instagram @TheSageApron

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