The Apple Cider Old Fashioned is an Autumnal twist on the classic Old Fashioned. The addition of apple cider makes for an easy to drink Fall cocktail that you will want to enjoy year-round!

2 glasses filled with the apple cider old fashioned, apple slice and cherries as a garnish and an apple in the background.

We love classic cocktails here at Sip and Feast. We also LOVE Fall. And for us, Fall means cozy flannels, hay bales, heartier food and of course all things pumpkin and apple. So in our quest to incorporate the flavors of this season into a cocktail, we settled on this classic, the Old Fashioned, and added a bit of apple cider to it. We threw in some cherries and an apple slice to garnish and so the Apple Cider Old Fashioned was born.

Call Me Old Fashioned…

The classic Old Fashioned is comprised of bourbon or rye, a sugar cube, bitters, and an orange slice and Maraschino cherry to garnish.

And while the classic is iconic in its own right, we felt that to truly honor the spirit of Fall, the orange slice and brightly colored cherry needed to go. For this Apple Cider Old Fashioned, we still used Rye and bitters, but we did not use the sugar cube as the sweetness from the cider was enough. We also opted for an apple slice and these deep red cherries that almost look like cranberries.

When To Serve This Fall Cocktail

While the drink itself is cold, temperature-wise, there is something so warming about it. Perhaps it’s the rye or the spices used in the cider. So this is a perfect drink to serve after you’ve spent a day picking apples and pumpkins, or as a precursor to any hearty Fall or Winter meal. If you’re having a cocktail party in the Fall, that would be the perfect venue for a drink like this. And you might even want to check out our “Perfect for Fall” drink lineup:

A bottle of rye, cocktail bitters, a bowl of cherries and apple cider.

How To Make The Apple Cider Old Fashioned

First, you’ll need your ingredients: apple cider, rye, bitters, and apple slices and cherries for garnish. If you prefer your drinks on the sweeter side, feel free to revert to the classic by including a sugar cube to muddle with the bitters.

In a cocktail mixer or shaker filled with ice, combine the rye, bitters and apple cider. Stir with a mixing spoon for about twenty seconds. Then, strain and pour into rocks glasses filled with ice. Add the apple slice and cherries to garnish and serve.

2 Apple Cider Old Fashioned cocktails as seen from above, a cutting board with half an apple in the top right hand corner.

This is such a simple drink that really doesn’t require much prep but still looks sophisticated and beautiful.

If you’ve enjoyed this Apple Cider Old Fashioned or any recipe on this site please let us know in the comments. We would love to hear how you did and it’s nice to show others as well. Thanks!

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Apple Cider Old Fashioned

by James Delmage and Tara

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 5

Total: 5

Servings: 1

Apple cider old fashioned featured image.

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The Apple Cider Old Fashioned combines apple cider, rye, and bitters to put a Fall twist on the well known classic.

Ingredients

Instructions

To a cocktail mixer, add half the ice; fill a rocks glass with remaining ice.
To the mixer, add the rye, apple cider, and bitters.
Stir for about 20 seconds to incorporate the ingredients and adequately chill the drink.
Strain and pour into the ice-filled rocks glass.
Garnish with an apple slice and cherries. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you prefer your drink to be sweeter, add a sugar cube to the rocks glass, add the bitters to soften the cube, and muddle.
If you don't have rye, you can also use bourbon.