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The Best Quick Apple Cider Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

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This quick apple cider old fashioned cocktail captures the cozy, warming feeling of autumn in a glass. It comes together in under 5 minutes with simple ingredients, perfect for a weeknight treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
  • 3 ounces apple cider (unfiltered, refrigerated)
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 dash orange bitters (optional)
  • Ice cubes (large cubes preferred)
  • 1 thin apple slice (Honeycrisp or Fuji)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • 1 strip orange peel

Instructions

  1. Prep your glass. Place your rocks glass on the counter. Add the brown sugar and both bitters directly into the glass.
  2. Muddle gently. Using the back of your bar spoon or a muddler, press the brown sugar and bitters together until the sugar dissolves into a paste, about 15-20 seconds.
  3. Add the whiskey. Pour the 2 ounces of bourbon or rye over the sugar-bitter paste. Stir gently with your bar spoon for about 10 seconds to dissolve any remaining sugar granules.
  4. Add the apple cider. Pour in the 3 ounces of apple cider. Stir again for another 10 seconds to combine everything thoroughly.
  5. Add ice. Drop in 2-3 large ice cubes. Stir gently for 15-20 seconds to chill the drink without over-diluting.
  6. Prepare your garnishes. Using a vegetable peeler, cut a 2-inch strip of orange peel, avoiding the white pith. Slice a thin apple round, about 1/4 inch thick.
  7. Express the orange oils. Hold the orange peel over the glass with the colored side facing the drink. Give it a firm twist to release the essential oils onto the surface of the cocktail. Rub the peel around the rim of the glass, then drop it in.
  8. Add the final garnishes. Place the apple slice on the rim of the glass or float it on top. Tuck the cinnamon stick next to the ice if using.
  9. Serve immediately. Enjoy while the ice is still fresh and the apple cider is crisp.

Notes

Use cold apple cider straight from the fridge. Don’t skip the orange bitters—they brighten the drink. Watch dilution: with large ice cubes, stir 15-20 seconds; with smaller cubes, stir 10 seconds. For a party, batch the ingredients (except ice and garnishes) in a pitcher and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider old fashioned, quick cocktail, fall cocktail, bourbon cocktail, easy cocktail

Find it online: https://piperplate.com/the-best-quick-apple-cider-old-fashioned-cocktail-recipe/