Maple Bourbon Apple Cider with Roasted Pears and Lemon Juice

It’s finally November and it’s officially time to get festive for the season! Too soon? I don’t think so! The holidays are right around the corner with Thanksgiving exactly 3 weeks away. DAMN that’s soon. So here’s the deal, you’re going to need cocktails this season, right? Between holiday parties, having friends over, or just needing to unwind from holiday stress. What better way to do all of that than with a festive cocktail like my maple bourbon apple cider punch? I’ve made a delicious maple bourbon cocktail before that you can check out here. It had roasted pears and lemon juice in it and served up in a martini glass. Super delicious! But this year I wanted to try something a little easier that can be served up just for yourself, or as a big punch for parties.

My Maple Bourbon Apple Cider Recipe

When thinking of a great fall and festive cocktail to make, I knew I wanted to use apple cider. It’s one of my favorite things to indulge in this time of year and why not upgrade it with a few special ingredients. Sure you can just add bourbon to this and it’s just as delicious. But adding in pure maple syrup from Vermont makes it extra special. That’s also something Ina Garten would say. If you don’t have Vermont maple syrup, store-bought Log Cabin is fine. And it is. I brought back this syrup from my trip to Stowe last winter. The maple syrup was aged in bourbon barrels giving it an incredible taste. You can also add in a cinnamon stick and some clove to the apple cider while it warms up for extra flavor. Plus, your home will smell amazing when you make this which is always a plus when heating up apple cider. Instant fall smells throughout the home.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup apple cider
1 tsp real maple syrup
1 1/2 oz of bourbon (I used Cooper Craft)
Squeeze of lemon (optional)

TIP: To make a punch, I recommend doing 6 cups of bourbon and 6 cups of cider plus 1 cup of maple syrup. You may want to add a few lemons to this to brighten it up. Taste it from here and see how you like it. You may want to add a cup or two of water to dilute the sweetness of the cider and dilute the drink a bit more. You can follow this helpful article on making punches to figure out ratios!

HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT

STEP ONE – GRAB YOUR INGREDIENTS

You’ll want to get all your ingredients for this and get them ready to combine. You will also need a pan to warm everything up in on the stove. Heating is optional. And if you’re just serving up a serving or two, the microwave works great too.

STEP TWO – HEAT IT UP

I like to serve this holiday cocktail warm, but if you don’t, you can skip this step. But for me, apple cider should always be served hot. I add all of the ingredients, except the booze, to a pan and heat it up over low to medium heat. Once it’s hot, don’t boil it, you’ll then add bourbon right at the end just to warm it. If you let it sit in there too long, you’ll cook out the alcohol which isn’t ideal.

TIP: If you want to serve this cold, you can. Just add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and then pour into your glass.

STEP THREE – GARNISH AND ENJOY

I like to serve this fall cocktail up in cute mason jars with handles. Since I serve it warm, it’s ideal to have a handle. I garnish it with a little slice of fresh apple so people know what they’re about to drink! They’d also be super cute served up in these adorable Santa mugs!