Spiked Apple Orchard Cocktail

All the best fall flavors: apples, cinnamon, and ginger. Combined into one delicious cocktail! You can use homemade or store-bought apple butter, stir it up with some bourbon and ginger beer, and top it all off by rimming the glass with a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon to add a bit more sweetness with every sip! And it’s that simple.

We’re making a quick version of apple butter. If you have the time, you can do it the old fashioned way and cook it in your crockpot. But I’m giving you the quick stovetop version. The advantage of making your own apple butter is you can control how much sugar and spices you use! I just used a little bit of honey because the ginger beer I used had a decent amount of sugar. And, I love cinnamon so I made sure to throw some extra in. The recipe I’m giving you for apple butter makes wayyy more than you’ll need for the recipe. You can either cut in half or find another use for it. Spread it on toast, bagels, in oatmeal, put it in bread dough…lots of options for ya.

Tweak the ginger beer to your liking. If you want a stronger bourbon flavor, go with closer to 4 ounces, but if you prefer the taste of ginger beer I’d say you can add as much as 8 ounces to each glass.

Have you ever been to an orchard to pick apples? I’ve actually never been, but I wanted to capture the feeling in a cocktail. The warmth of the bourbon, with the slight spice of the ginger beer, and the sweet apple butter. The grocery store near me sells Ohio grown apples, so I guess that’s almost the same thing as going apple picking. Without all the hard work.

Spiked Apple Orchard Cocktail

From north coast eats at https://northcoasteats.com/spiked-apple-orchard-cocktail/

https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/apple.orchard.feature-0373.jpg

Yield: makes 1 drink, easily multiplied

An easy stirred cocktail with homemade apple butter, bourbon, and ginger beer.

You'll Need...

Apple Butter:
2 apples, peeled and sliced in small chunks
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/4 cup apple juice or water
Cocktail:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 of a lemon
1 ounce bourbon
1 tablespoon apple butter
4 ounces ginger beer
Ice cubes
Apple pieces thinly sliced

Directions

Make apple butter: dump all apple butter ingredients in a pan heated over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. Cook 45 minutes, until apples are mushy and soft. Remove from heat and blend until smooth in a high-speed blender.
Make the cocktail: On a plate, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Drag a lemon on the rim glass. Dip rim of glass in cinnamon sugar. In glass, pour, bourbon, apple butter, and ginger beer. Stir until combined. If desired, toss a in a few ice cubes & apple slices.