Apple Cinnamon Bourbon Cocktail

This Apple Cinnamon Bourbon cocktail is all about the fall flavors! With tons of flavor coming from a honeycrisp apple and cinnamon infusion, plus fresh apple cider, it can't be beat on an autumn afternoon. Using a crisp baked apple slice as a garnish gives it a beautifully rustic look.

Are you a fan of apple picking? It's one of my favorite fall activities! Besides making lots of apple pie filling with the apples, you can also buy fresh apple cider at the U-Pick farmstands, which makes for some amazing cocktails.

Try out the delicious Apple Cider Mimosa with a caramel and cinnamon sugar coated rim, or the Apple Cider Martini with vodka and Amaretto liqueur!

If you're looking for more apple cider goodness, check out one of my other cocktails, Hot Apple Cider with Rum. It actually uses apple cider concentrate, although fresh cider would give it a whole new spin. A splash of apple cider would also be a wonderful addition to the Bees Knees cocktail.

Ingredients

For this cocktail, I used my homemade Apple Cinnamon Infused Vodka, which I made using honeycrisp apples. In a nutshell, just let apples and cinnamon sit in vodka for 24 to 48 hours, and then strain them out.

Depending on what's available at your local liquor store, you might be able to get your hands on a pre-made infusion, like the one made by Infuse Spirits.

Here's what you'll need, although check out the Substitutions section if you don't have an ingredient on hand:

• Apple Cinnamon infused vodka
• Bourbon
• Falernum liqueur - this is a spiced liqueur with flavors of lime, ginger, and allspice. I used The Bitter Truth Golden Falernum liqueur, but you can also use Velvet Falernum liqueur.
• Fresh apple cider (I happened to find honeycrisp apple cider!)
• Baked apple chip (optional garnish)

Substitutions

I know there are a couple of specialty items in this drink, so here are some substitutes that would work in a pinch:

• Apple Cinnamon Infused Vodka - you can replace this with a little cinnamon schnapps, or even a little bit of Fireball cinnamon whiskey.
• Bourbon - you can substitute in any blended whiskey, or dark rum instead.
• Falernum - if you can't find the liqueur, try using a falernum syrup and increasing the bourbon by about a quarter ounce (7 ml).
• Fresh apple cider - if apple cider is out of season or you just can't find it, you can always get your hands on some boiled cider, also known as apple cider concentrate. Be sure to dilute it before using in this cocktail!

Variations

There are a few ways to change this recipe up to make a whole different drink! Here are a few:

• Fizzy - use a larger glass and add in an ounce or two of seltzer. For an added kick, try a ginger-flavored seltzer!
• Lemon - add in a half ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice. This will balance out some of the sweetness and make it super refreshing!
• Orange Cranberry - Instead of the Golden Falernum, add in some Triple Sec, and also add in a splash of cranberry juice.
• Warm - this is a great cocktail served warm. Just heat up the apple cider and mix it with the rest of the room-temperature ingredients.

Equipment

You'll need a cocktail shaker and strainer, plus a jigger, or a small measuring cup.

The serving glass I used was this gold goblet, which holds about 8 ounces of liquid. I used a larger glass so there'd be room for ice.

If you're looking to upgrade your cocktail tools, I highly recommend A Bar Above! You can get a 10% discount by using my affiliate code, LKDrinks, at checkout. (Plus they're dishwasher safe!)

Instructions

This is a pretty simple cocktail to make. Start by gathering all of your ingredients together along with your cocktail shaker. Get your cocktail serving glass ready to go, and your garnish too.

Add the apple cinnamon vodka, bourbon, Golden Falernum and apple cider. Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake it up well, about 15-20 times.

Add fresh ice to your cocktail glass, and strain the drink over top of the ice. If you don't have a clip or a mini clothespin, just lay the apple chip on top of the drink. Serve before the ice melts!

Top tip

This drink is wonderful for batching. Just mix together everything in proportion in a pitcher, and add in a quarter ounce of water per drink. So for example, for four drinks, multiply everything by 4 (you can use the handy multiplier in the recipe below!) and then add in one more ounce of water. Store in a pitcher in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

How to make Baked Apple Chips

To garnish this drink, wanted to incorporate the look of a crunchy baked apple slice. A fresh apple would be great here also, but a dried one really makes me think of the fall season!

In order to make these chips, I sliced an apple into as thin slices as possible. Then lay out the slices flat on a baking sheet. If you want, sprinkle with some cinnamon.

Place in a 200°F (93°C) oven for an hour, and then flip them over and bake for another hour. If they're not totally crunchy, flip again and bake for another hour. Keep going until they're truly crispy and dry. The baking time all depends on how thick your slices are.

You can also make these in a dehydrator, although I don't have one. Let me know in the comments if you've tried a dehydrator for apple chips!

I used one of these little gold clips to hold the apple on, but it also works well just to float it on top!