Apple Cider Bourbon Smash
This Apple Cider Bourbon Smash combines bourbon, crisp apple cider, fresh lemon, maple syrup, ginger, and bitters, finished with fizzy ginger beer. It’s an easy, refreshing fall cocktail with warm apple and cinnamon flavors.
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz maple syrup
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger sliced
- 2 oz apple cider or spiced apple juice
- 2 –3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 oz ginger beer
- Apple slices and cinnamon sticks for garnish
- Ice as needed
Instructions
Muddle the ginger
- Add the sliced ginger and maple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Gently muddle to release the ginger’s flavor.
Add the cocktail ingredients
- Pour in the bourbon, lemon juice, apple cider, and Angostura bitters.
Shake with ice
- Fill the shaker with ice. Shake well for about 10–15 seconds until thoroughly chilled.
Strain
- Fill two rocks glasses with fresh ice. Strain the cocktail evenly between the glasses.
Add ginger beer
- Top each glass with about 1 ounce of ginger beer. Give each drink a gentle stir.
Garnish and serve
- Add an apple slice and cinnamon stick to each glass. Serve immediately.
Notes
I prefer making this cocktail fresh because the ginger beer has the best fizz immediately after it is added.
If you’re preparing drinks for guests, you can mix the bourbon, apple cider, lemon juice, maple syrup, and bitters ahead of time. Keep the mixture refrigerated, then shake individual portions with ice and finish each glass with ginger beer.
For a warmer flavor, use spiced apple cider. You can also add a very small pinch of ground cinnamon to the cocktail, although I usually prefer using a cinnamon stick as the garnish.
If you want a slightly more citrus-forward apple cider bourbon sour, increase the lemon juice slightly and reduce the maple syrup to taste.