By Emily Nehrenz

As we approach this new cozy season, soon will follow the invites to Friendsgiving and holiday potlucks (or in our case…solo parties on the couch watching Netflix Christmas movies in our sweats.) And no matter what your plans may be, so begs the question – what are you sipping this holiday season?

Now that we are in the heart of fall, it’s time to whip up a new cocktail that perfectly highlights the season’s warm colors and festive flavors. Don’t get us wrong – we love our pumpkin spiced and gingerbread lattes, but here’s a fun cocktail recipe that we can’t wait to share with you.

Today, we’re making a Spiced Apple Bourbon cocktail. This drink is perfect to make for your holiday soirées if you’re not big on cooking, and need something easy and impressive to contribute to the feast! The best part is this recipe only requires a few ingredients, so it’s a great introduction to making cocktails if you are a little intimidated.

You’ll need:

1.5 oz bourbon

1.5 oz apple cider

1 oz champagne

A few dashes of Angostura bitters

ready to get started?

Here’s how to prepare it

Fill a glass or shaker with the bourbon, apple cider, bitters, and lots of ice. Stir for a solid minute, then strain into the stemware of your choice. We chose a Nick and Nora glass, but a coupe or martini glass would be fun too! Garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple slice, or whatever you want! We just thought these were fun additions to the drink to let your guests know the flavors they should be expecting. Either way, it’ll be Pinterest af. 

Why we love it

We love this delicious cocktail because the crisp apple cider highlights the classic flavor of fall. The addition of bourbon balances out the sweetness of the cider and the bitters add a level of complexity to the taste. We enjoy adding a sparkling wine or champagne topper, but feel free to replace with soda water or ginger beer even!

Make it party-ready

If you’re going to be sharing with a large group, you could easily turn this apple cider cocktail into a punch. Just add ice cubes to a pitcher and add the ingredients! We also wouldn’t be mad if you sliced up apple and pear disks and turned it into a fall sangria. You can even add a dash of cinnamon to accentuate the spices in the apple cider. 

How easy is that?! There are tons of ways to prepare this cocktail and make it look fancier than it is – a foolproof way to impress all your guests! If you do end up making this bourbon apple cider cocktail, be sure to share on IG so we don’t get fomo #shoptobi.

pour it up!

Photos by Elaine Tu