This refreshing apple bourbon cider cocktail is a chilled mix of bourbon, Honeycrisp apple cider, fresh vanilla bean syrup, and fresh lemon. It’s a simple yet satisfying apple bourbon cocktail you can serve nice and chilled on the rocks as a delicious fall cocktail for the autumn season.
The crisp sweet flavor of autumn apples is truly enhanced with the elegant flavor of pure and fresh vanilla bean. The addition of homemade vanilla bean syrup infuses every sip with something extra to be savored.
A Unique and Crisp Sparkling Apple Bourbon Cider COcktail Just In Time For fall…
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Hints of vibrant fresh lemon juice add brightness and balance. Splashes of fizzing sparkling water finish the cocktail with a quenching effect that delivers a most unique and refreshing apple cider bourbon cocktail recipe just in time for fall.
Savor the flavor of crisp fresh apples in this easy fall bourbon cocktail that you can serve in the fall and throughout the holiday season! The fresh homemade vanilla bean syrup is easy to make with minimal ingredients and adds something so special to this apple bourbon cocktail…
Serve this crisp and cooling apple cider drink as a bourbon holiday cocktail! This easy honeycrisp apple cider drink makes the perfect Thanksgiving bourbon cocktail. It also makes an easy Christmas bourbon drink as you move through the holidays and into the winter season.
The versatility of sweetly satisfying apple flavor makes it a favorite to be enjoyed at autumn time. It’s also perfect for serving throughout the celebrated holiday seasons. Feel free to serve this delicious vanilla bean apple cider cocktail with bourbon for any occasion.
Bring back a few beautiful shiny red apples from your visit to the apple orchard this fall. A few slices of freshly-picked sweet apple will make the perfect garnish in this vibrant bourbon cocktail loaded with the flavors of fall.
To create that coveted vanilla flavor that swirls in so well with good splashes of bourbon and apple, we’ll cook up a super simple vanilla syrup. It comes together in the saucepan in minutes. Using fresh vanilla bean pods, we’ll infuse water and sugar with the lovely fragrance and flavor of vanilla.
Make The Vanilla Syrup For the Apple Bourbon Cider Cocktail
To flavor our easy bourbon apple cocktail with something a little special, let’s make a little vanilla cocktail syrup >>
- Start by grabbing a fresh vanilla pod from your jar. Using a paring knife, gently cut the vanilla bean down the center to reveal the inner seeds.
- Gently press the vanilla pod open revealing the sandy pulp inside pod. This inner material will infuse our water and sugar mixture with deliciously deep authentic vanilla flavor. It will also speckle the syrup throughout with those lovely flecks of dark vanilla bean seed in the finished syrup.
- Next, add equal parts water and sugar to the same sauce pan with the vanilla bean pod. I just used plain white sugar. Feel free to use your favorite sugar such as cane sugar, organic light brown sugar, or Turbinado cane sugar.
- Stir the sugar, vanilla pod, and water over medium heat. Stir gently as the sugar dissolves into the water. Bring to a boil.
- Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low. Simmer on low an additional 8 or so minutes allowing the flavor of the vanilla bean to deepen and concentrate within the syrup. Turn heat off.
- Strain, let cool, and pour into an airtight container or a glass bottle with a lid. Keep stored in the fridge in your airtight container and consume ideally between 7 to 10 days.
Make the Crisp Vanilla Apple Bourbon Cocktail
To make this easy fall bourbon cocktail, start by grabbing a cocktail shaker.
Fill your cocktail shaker about three-quarters of the way with fresh ice. Next, splash in your favorite good quality bourbon along with the apple cider juice.
Use Your Favorite Best Bourbon or Rye…
For this festive vanilla apple fall cocktail, I decided to go with Bulleit. You can use either Bulleit bourbon or Bulleit rye whiskey (Four Roses bourbon is also another favorite of mine). The rye whiskey in particular has a bold and unique flavor with light spice.
Either one will fit in nicely with the flavor profile to make the perfect cocktail for fall. Either way, use your favorite good quality bourbon. If Honeycrisp apple cider, isn’t available, use a good quality real apple cider. Use good quality pure pressed apple juice such as Simply Apple.
Add Fresh Lemon Juice and Vanilla Bean Syrup
Next, splash in freshly-squeezed lemon juice and our homemade vanilla bean syrup to the same cocktail shaker with the ice, bourbon, and apple cider.
Shake Ingredients Together To Chill and Thoroughly Combine
​Cover everything and shake vigorously until all ingredients are fully combined and chilled. Strain the apple bourbon cocktail into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Top Everything Off With a Hint of Sparkling Water and Garnish
​Lastly, finish our bourbon apple cider cocktail with a gentle splash of sparkling water. I like to use a little La Croix sparkling water in the classic plain or lemon flavor. If using the lemon flavor, it adds a bright finishing hint of lemon which lifts and highlights all of our fall flavors throughout the cocktail.
Garnish with thin slices of crisp red apple. You might also tuck in a few thin slices of lemon wheel.
As you can see here, I took it just a little step further and saved the vanilla bean pod from the syrup we made earlier and tucked it in for a little extra flavor. It adds so much character and drama to the finished cocktail…
If you truly enjoy simple fall cocktails or apple cocktails in general, then you’ll really enjoy this easy fresh apple cider bourbon cocktail. It’s laced with lovely hints of vanilla throughout that just mesh so nicely with good bourbon! I just love the idea of cider drinks to sip throughout the fall during my favorite season!
Serve This Versatile Apple Bourbon Cider Cocktail for Fall, Halloween, or the Holidays!
You can even swipe your glass with a little lemon and dip into a quick cinnamon sugar mixture for a cinnamon-sugar rim on your glass, if desired.
Serve this festive apple cocktail that truly celebrants autumn at a fun fall gathering or as a festive apple cider Halloween cocktail… Serve it during the holiday season as a festive bourbon apple Thanksgiving cocktail and into the cooler seasons as a mixed drink or refreshing winter drink with bourbon.
As you can see, the apple flavor really fits into a variety of occasions as we move towards the cool crisp days of the fall season.
I hope you enjoy this easy cocktail recipe for fall to help ring in the autumn season with little sips of something special, refreshing, and delicious!
If you’re in search of more easy cocktail recipes with apple and bourbon, try this simple apple bourbon fall cocktail that incorporates a dash of maple syrup for a hint of sweetness along with lots of crisp apple flavor. It’s another winning combination where bourbon and apple make the perfect match…
A little cinnamon, cranberry juice, and apple cider also make a festively flavored match in this easy cranberry apple bourbon cider cocktail that you can pour for fall and Halloween along with this fun Fireball cider recipe as well. If it’s that perfect cozy cocktail you need, try a warm spiced tea recipe with rum! It’s an easy warm cozy drink with fall spices that you make with gold rum or dark rum. An excellent fireside warmer…
Enjoy this easy vanilla apple bourbon cocktail anytime you need a festive drink with simple ingredients that celebrates the taste of autumn!
Crisp Vanilla Apple Bourbon Cider Cocktail | A Refreshing Fall Cocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Apple Bourbon Cider Cocktail
- 1½ oz Good Quality Bourbon - or Rye Whiskey (I used Bulleit)
- ½ oz Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
- ½ oz Vanilla Bean Syrup - recipe follows (or good quality bottled vanilla syrup)
- 2 oz Honeycrisp Apple Cider - or good quality pressed apple juice
- Sparkling Water - for topping off
- Fresh Lemon and Apple Slices - for garnish
For The Vanilla Syrup
- 1 cup Filtered Water
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 1 whole Fresh Vanilla Bean Pod - (or 1 tbsp high quality vanilla extract if vanilla bean is not available, but whole vanilla bean is more highly recommended)
Instructions
Make Vanilla Cocktail Syrup
- Start by grabbing a fresh vanilla pod from your jar.  Using a paring knife, gently cut the vanilla bean down the center to reveal the inner seeds.Gently press the vanilla pod open.
- Next, add equal parts water and sugar to the same sauce pan with the vanilla bean pod.  I used plain white sugar. Stir the sugar, vanilla pod, and water over medium heat.  Stir gently as the sugar dissolves into the water. Bring to a boil. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low. Â
- Simmer on low an additional 8 or so minutes allowing the flavor of the vanilla bean to deepen and concentrate within the syrup. Turn heat off.  Strain, let cool, and pour into an airtight container or a glass bottle with a lid.  Keep stored in the fridge in your airtight container and consume ideally between 7 to 10 days.
Make the Bourbon Cider Cocktail
- In a cocktail shaker filled three-quarters of the way with ice, splash in the bourbon and honey crisp apple cider.
- Next, splash in freshly squeezed lemon juice and the prepared vanilla bean syrup.
- Cover and shake vigorously until all ingredients are fully combined and chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.Â
- Top off the poured cocktail with a light gentle splash of chilled sparkling water. Garnish with thin sliced apples and lemon. Serve immediately. Serve chilled.
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