Bourbon Apple Cider Maple Fizz Cocktail
Home » COOK » Recipes » Beverages » Cocktails »This Bourbon Apple Cider Maple Fizz cocktail is like autumn in a glass with apple, maple, and ginger flavors and is a perfect alcoholic beverage for fall!
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Ingredients to make Bourbon Apple Cider
To make this fall cocktail you are going to need the following ingredients:
Bourbon
Bourbon is a whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbon… confused? Don’t be!
Simply put, bourbon is produced in America. It is made by distilling grains that must contain at least 51% corn – the rest being barley, and rye or wheat – an aged in new charred oak barrels; whereas whisky (Scotch) or whiskey (Irish) is made with malted barley.
Bourbon brands include Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, and Knob Creek.
But honestly, if you’ve got a bottle of Jack Daniels in the house or even a bottle of Scotch or Jameson’s Irish Whiskey, you can use that in place of bourbon and it’ll be just fine!
Apple Cider
We’ve had this discussion about apple cider on my blog a few times now, but I feel I must repeat myself just to be sure!
In short, the US and the UK have different names for beverages made from apples, and that can lead to confusion when I share recipes as I have a worldwide audience! I use American terms in recipes because the majority of my audience is from the USA. However, I am a Brit and also have a UK audience too (I can’t keep up with every country’s terms though – forgive me?), so try to always offer both versions of the same thing (where I can).
Here in the UK, cider is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Part of England known as the West Country is like the spiritual home of cider, especially in Somerset!
Now, over in the USA, cider refers to unfiltered apple juice, traditionally made with a distinct sweet-tart taste. The closest thing that I think we could get in the UK is cloudy apple juice.
What we Brits call cider, the Americans call hard cider. Then to add even more confusion, Canada uses the terms “cider” and “apple cider” interchangeably. (Although they generally refer to alcoholic and juice beverages, respectively. )
After several vacations to the US, I have become used to using the term hard cider to talk about the alcoholic beverage! Any time I use alcoholic cider in mixed drinks, I will refer to it as hard cider to avoid any confusion!
Maple Syrup
To get all that good maple syrup flavor in this cocktail, use the best quality, pure syrup that you can buy.
Ginger Beer
Ginger beer is a naturally sweetened and carbonated, usually non-alcoholic beverage. It is produced by the natural fermentation of prepared ginger spice, yeast, and sugar. In the UK there is a brand of alcoholic ginger beer – Crabbies – and is called “alcoholic ginger beer” to distinguish it from the more established commercial ginger beers, which are not brewed (fermented), but carbonated with pressurized carbon dioxide.
Not to be confused with ginger ale which is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger. It is consumed on its own or used as a mixer, often with spirit-based drinks.
Make It A Meal!
The beverage is covered, but what about other dishes to make this recipe into a full meal? Here are my suggestions!
- Appetizer: Hearty Minestrone Soup with Arugula
- Main Dish: Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes
- Vegetable Side Dish: Spiced Roasted Autumn Vegetables
- Dessert: Apple Pie Layer Cake with Cinnamon Frosting & Walnut Crumble Topping
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy! Please feel free to check them out too.
More Cocktails To Make
Once you’ve made this bourbon cocktail, you might want to try making some other boozy beverages. Here are some more for you to check out:
This cocktail recipe is intended for adults of the legal drinking age in your country of residence.
Please drink responsibly. Do not drink and drive.
Bourbon Apple Cider Maple Fizz Cocktail
This cocktail is the taste of fall in a glass with apple cider, maple syrup, ginger beer, and bourbon!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Apple Cider (Cloudy Apple Juice)
- ⅛ cup Pure Maple Syrup
- ¼ cup Bourbon (e.g., Jim Beam)
- Ginger Beer (to top up)
- Ice Cubes
- Apple Slices to garnish (optional)
- Cinnamon Sticks to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place the apple cider and maple syrup in a medium pan on low heat and to warm through gently and combine. Leave to cool slightly.
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Add the bourbon, slightly cooled cider mixture, and top up with ginger beer.
- Garnish with apple slices and cinnamon stick if using.
Notes
To make a big batch of this cocktail, as long as you use the same size measure for 1 part, the ratios will be correct:
- 8 parts apple cider (cloudy apple juice)
- ½ part maple syrup
- 1 part bourbon
- top with ginger beer
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 414Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 29mgCarbohydrates: 91gFiber: 1gSugar: 80gProtein: 1g
This site uses an outside source (Nutritionix) to provide estimated nutrition. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Bourbon Apple Cider Maple Fizz Variations
Virgin Apple Cider Maple Fizz (Mocktail)
Non-drinkers can enjoy this fall cocktail very easily – just don’t use the bourbon and you’re good to go!
So to make one drink, warm 2 cups apple cider (cloudy apple juice) with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and allow to cool slightly before pouring in a glass over ice and topping up with ginger beer.
Warm Bourbon Apple Cider
So this original drink has a warm/cold thing going on, but if you want a completely warm drink – you can! Gently warm through all the ingredients in the original recipe – apple cider, maple syrup, ginger beer, and bourbon and serve in a mug or glass with a handle with a cinnamon stick stirrer.
You can turn it into a warm virgin beverage by omitting the bourbon.
Bourbon Apple Cider Slush
Want to turn this bourbon cocktail into a frozen slushie? Easy! Put all the ingredients in a blender with a generous amount of crushed ice – then blend till smooth. Serve with a straw, and watch out for brain freeze! (Again, leave out the bourbon for the virgin version!)
Bourbon Apple Cider Party Punch
If you want to turn a single drink into a party punch for a crowd, you can make a large batch of the cocktail no problem!
As long as you use the same measuring container (glass, cup, jug etc) for the “1 part”, the ratios will be correct and you can make as much as you need to. Serve in drinks dispensers, pitchers, or go really retro and serve it from a punch bowl!
Make sure you add plenty of ice to your serving receptacle of choice and throw in several cinnamon sticks and apple slices. If serving in a punch bowl, why not chop up the apple into small pieces so that they can be eaten as part of the cocktail too.
To make a batch of Bourbon Apple Cider party punch, follow the preparation instructions in the recipe card above but use the following quantities:
- 8 parts apple cider (cloudy apple juice)
- ½ part maple syrup
- 1 part bourbon
- top with ginger beer
Again, you can leave out the bourbon to make a non-alcoholic punch, or you could warm it through completely. I would also try adding in some cinnamon sticks during the warming process to add some spiced flavor.
The post is part of the Crafty October series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog. Check out Crafty October from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 for awesome Halloween ideas and inspiration; including recipes, printables, crafts, and more!
