Want the recipe? No judgement. Jump straight there:
The bourbon research continues. This time, with apple cider.
My brother Greg took a cross-country RV trip with one assignment: find the greatest bourbon in the world.
Mine is a little less ambitious: make a good drink for the patio.
This apple cider bourbon cocktail pairs cider and fresh lemon with a splash of ginger beer. Five minutes, one glass, and no cocktail shaker to wash.
Why You’ll Love It
Five-minute prep. Build it right in the glass.
Easy party prep. Mix the base ahead; add ginger beer when serving.
An alcohol-free option. A few simple adjustments keep everyone on the menu.
Bourbon & Broomsticks Cocktail
Prep time: About 5 minutes · Makes: 1 cocktail
Apple cider, bourbon, fresh lemon, and ginger beer, served over ice with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.
Ingredients
1½ oz bourbon
3 oz apple cider
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
2 oz chilled ginger beer
Ice
Apple slice and cinnamon stick, for garnish
How to Make It
Fill a rocks glass with ice.
Add the bourbon, apple cider, and lemon juice. Stir.
Top with chilled ginger beer and stir gently.
Garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.
Pro Tips & Notes
Keep the bubbles for last. Add ginger beer just before serving.
Make it alcohol-free. Omit the bourbon and increase the apple cider to 4 oz. Keep the lemon juice and 2 oz ginger beer.
Prep for a party. Multiply the bourbon, cider, and lemon juice by your number of servings and refrigerate the mixture in a covered pitcher. For each cocktail, pour 5 oz of the mixture over ice, then add 2 oz chilled ginger beer. Garnish and serve.
Made this cocktail?
Share a photo on Instagram and tag @forthebirdsliving.
The Story Behind the Recipe
The search for the world’s greatest Bourbon
Before you pick your bourbon, here’s my brother Greg’s field report. The research was rigorous. The credentials were questionable.
By Greg:
Every cross-country RV trip needs a purpose. Mine came with an assignment: find the greatest bourbon.
Some people visit national parks, monuments, or baseball fields. I was conducting research: what is the best bourbon in the world?
At the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky, I discovered two promising contenders: Blanton’s and Eagle Rare. Both earned a place in the RV, where storage space is precious but priorities must be respected.
Then, in South Carolina, I discovered Gentry, named in honor of the founder’s grandfather, whose prized racehorse shared the name. A bourbon with a racehorse in its family history seemed perfectly well qualified to enter the running.
Back home, my son David and I arranged a blind tasting. No labels, no reputations, no sentimental attachment to the places I’d visited. Just three bourbons and two judges with absolutely no credentials beyond enthusiasm.
The first surprise? Eagle Rare wasn’t our favorite. Perhaps it was having an off day. Perhaps we were. Either way, it was a two-horse race from there.
Gentry and Blanton’s, were both wonderful. Blanton’s edged ahead that evening, but Gentry made it a close race. Both earned a place on our favorites list.
Had I found the greatest bourbon in the world? That would require a much larger study.
But I had found our favorites—and enjoyed a cross-country adventure along the way.
Further research, of course, remains an option.
What to Serve With It
Put this cocktail on the menu with our Halloween Dinner on the Patio — Split Pea “Swamp Soup,” crusty bread, pumpkin cake, and decorated sugar cookies. Spooky names, familiar food, and no costumes required.
Get the Spooky Sugar Cookies Recipe →
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A Few Helpful Extras
Technically you don’t need whiskey glasses, but somehow, they just make it taste better.
One Last Thing
Pick your bourbon, pull up a patio chair, and let Greg handle the further research.
Join the Flock
If you like really good food, easy entertaining, and the occasional excuse to keep the cookie jar full, come join us.
The Latest from the Blog
Something good to cook, somewhere fun to go, and a few useful finds along the way. Here’s what’s new on the blog.
