• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Blogging Resources
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Cocktails » Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider

    Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider

    October 8, 2018 By Mary 25 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    2.8K shares
    • Facebook699
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    Hot bourbon cider pinterest pin
    Hot bourbon cider pinterest pin
    Hot bourbon cider pinterest pin
    Hot bourbon cider pinterest pin

    Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider is an incredibly delicious and oh-so-comforting hot drink. This easy autumn cocktail can also be served cold for a refreshing treat!

    Two glasses of Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider

    A Hot Apple Cider Cocktail

    When the fall season comes around most people are getting exciting about their pumpkin spice lattes. But for me, as soon as October comes around and my apple trees are ripe and delicious, I’m ready for an apple cider cocktail.

    And while I still can’t get behind everything pumpkin spice in the fall, I certainly take advantage of apple season, utilizing them in everything from our smoked apple crisp, to homemade apple sauce for the kids, and you know it, apple cocktails — like this spiked apple cider!

    There’s nothing more festive and delicious to get me in the fall spirit than a hot spiked cocktail full of flavorful mulling spices.

    A topdown shot of two Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider drinks

    How to make Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider

    • Start by making your mulled cider: Place all of your ingredients (except for the alcohol) in a pot and bring it to a simmer for 5-10 minutes. Strain the solids and place in a container. 
    • To make the cocktail: Rim your glass with sugar (optional) and then add bourbon, and top with about 1 cup of the cider mix. Garnish with an apple slice, orange wedge, and a cinnamon stick. Serve hot!

    The best part about this cocktail is that it’s super adaptable. You can make it with whatever brown booze you’ve got around (but I highly recommend Bourbon for this spiked apple cider drink). It can be made in advance and warm it up as needed. You can make a virgin version for the kiddos! And you can even make it into a cold cocktail if you’re just not into those hot boozy beverages. It’s your call!

    And you don’t need to make your own cider for this recipe. This is the time of year you can get some help from the local farms who do it best.

    A Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider cocktail in a glass

    Common Q&A regarding Spiked Apple Cider Drinks

    What’s the best alcohol for Spiked Apple Cider?

    We prefer Bourbon. But you could also use whiskey, rum, cognac or brandy.

    Can this Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider be served cold?

    Absolutely! Just let it cool and serve it over ice. It’s super refreshing that way.

    Can it be made without alcohol?

    For sure! It was originally intended to be a family friendly booze-less drink. But it sure makes for a comforting fall cocktail on a cold rainy evening.

    This is also an excellent cocktail for Thanksgiving too! The hot version would go well with pumpkin pie. Or serve cold over ice as an aperitif when your guests are arriving.

    What’s the best way to keep cider hot?

    Slow cooker, baby! If you’re having a party the best thing to do is make a big batch and keep it on the low setting in your slow cooker. That way it’s nice and warm for as long as it lasts.

    Holding a glass of warm spiked apple cider

    Related Cocktail & Apple Recipes:

    • Cognac Hot Toddy
    • Apple Cider Mimosas
    • Bourbon Cocktail with Grilled Lemon Simple Syrup
    • Mulled Wine
    • Semi-Smoked Apple Crisp

    *This post was originally published in 2014, and edited in October of 2018 with new photos and updated content.

    Spiked Hot Apple Cider

    Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider Recipe

    A soothing and comforting spiked apple cider made with Bourbon. Can be served warm or cold over ice. 
    4.44 from 65 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4 drinks
    Calories: 291kcal
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
    Cost: $10.00

    Ingredients

    • 4 ½ cups apple cider
    • 1 tablespoon orange juice
    • 1 whole cinnamon stick
    • 3 whole cloves
    • 1 whole star anise
    • 8 ounces Bourbon, recommend Bulleit or Basil Hayden’s
    • 4 slices navel orange, for garnish
    • Optional sugar, to rim the glass
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    To Make the Hot Cider:

    • Place the apple cider, cinnamon stick, orange juice, cloves and star anise in a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a pitcher. 

    To Make the Cocktail:

    • If you plan to rim the glass with sugar do that now. See notes for details.
    • In the glass, add 2 oz bourbon and 1 cup of the cider mix.
    • Garnish with an orange slice and stick of cinnamon and serve warm.

    Video

    Notes

    How to Rim the Glass with Sugar – Place approximately ¼ cup sugar on a flat plate. Take an extra slice of the orange and rub the rim of the glass used for serving. One slice will work for all four glasses. Discard the slice. Then flip the glass upside down and place onto the plate with the sugar. Rotate ¼ turn back and forth. The sugar will adhere to the glass because of the moisture from the orange. 
    Then add the drink into the glass.
    *Alternatively you can serve it cold. Allow the mixture to cool, strain, and then serve over ice.
    *For a virgin version just omit the alcohol. 
    Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Shop

    Nutrition

    Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge

    « Smoked Sausage and Hatch Chile Beer Cheese Dip
    Italian Rosé (Rosato) Year Round »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Paula says

      November 13, 2022 at 10:30 pm

      5 stars
      I came upon this recipe a few weeks ago. We are in South Texas and we finally have had a cold snap….We made this beverage tonight and enjoyed it around our fire pit…Oh My!! this was wonderful – only changes are that we did not do a sugar rim on the glass and we added a squeeze of fresh lemon to our drink…This was a great drink for a cool evening!! We will do this again for sure!!

      Reply
    2. Patricia Gruzenski says

      October 16, 2019 at 10:24 am

      Could you add Fireball and Rumchata to the mix?

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        October 17, 2019 at 3:54 pm

        Yes yes and yes! Those are great options.

        Reply
    3. Russell says

      January 04, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      We did this for New Years day, super simple and tastes great! Even the non-bourbon lovers enjoyed it. 🙂

      Reply
      • Mary says

        January 05, 2019 at 10:12 am

        Russell, that is awesome and thanks for the feedback!!

        Reply
    4. Jared says

      October 31, 2018 at 8:35 pm

      4 stars
      Made this for the past 2 years for Halloween. You can pretty much double the bourbon without ever tasting it. Also, a bit of lemon juice to cut the sweetness bc between the cider and bourbon it’s VERY sweet.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        November 01, 2018 at 2:31 pm

        Jared you bring up a great point. Since we use a local cider, we know it’s not very sweet. So it will really depend on what kind of apple cider you use (we don’t specify any specific brand), and the lemon is a great idea. We also go a little conservative on the bourbon, so as you pointed out, just add more if that’s the flavor you like :).

        Reply
    5. Waz says

      October 10, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      5 stars
      This spiked apple cider sounds perfect to me! Bourbon is my go to during the fall and winter. Cheers!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        October 14, 2018 at 8:29 pm

        Sean here – I love bourbon, it’s my happy place, and adding a little to the cider makes a fun fall cocktail!!

        Reply
    6. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      October 10, 2018 at 1:15 pm

      This sounds SO good Mary, perfect for the chilly days ahead! Your pictures are stunning too!

      Reply
    7. Kelli H says

      November 20, 2016 at 7:27 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this and it’s delicious! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        December 01, 2016 at 11:49 am

        Wohoo! Glad you enjoyed 🙂

        Reply
        • Jessica says

          October 29, 2018 at 8:37 pm

          Want to make this for Halloween this week, but I have never made a drink like this before. What type of “clove” is recommended for the receipe? Newby question, but want to get it right as I am making it for my family and a few neighbors. Thank you.

          Reply
          • Mary says

            November 01, 2018 at 2:28 pm

            Jessica, you can use the whole cloves from the spice aisle. Just drop a few of them in. There are different “varietals” of clove, but I would definitely not worry too much about that here. Just grab some whole cloves in the spice aisle.

            Reply
    8. potenzmittel wiki says

      December 05, 2015 at 10:15 am

      Great article. I’m going through a few of these issues as well..

      Reply
    9. Maricela Huerta-Paz says

      November 08, 2014 at 2:03 pm

      I had to share it with my subdivision’s recipe blog…Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        November 10, 2014 at 12:51 pm

        Thanks Maricela 🙂

        Reply
    10. Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire says

      November 06, 2014 at 10:07 am

      Yup. I am so making this after work today. I have some honey bourbon that I imagine would be awesome with this! Pinning!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        November 06, 2014 at 10:33 am

        Oh yes, that sounds perfect! Enjoy your drink 🙂

        Reply
    11. Nano Cleansers says

      November 06, 2014 at 8:07 am

      Great looking drink, amazing recipe. 🙂

      Reply
      • Mary says

        November 06, 2014 at 10:32 am

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    12. Chichi says

      November 06, 2014 at 5:29 am

      I was sold on this a drink as soon as I saw it has cider in it. Yum, could do with a glass or two right now. Pinned

      Reply
      • Mary says

        November 06, 2014 at 10:32 am

        Ha! Thanks! And yes, I could go for one now too… and it’s only 7am 😉

        Reply
    13. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

      November 06, 2014 at 2:48 am

      I love hot apple cider.. and I bet the addition of bourbon really kicks the overall flavour of it up! Definitely a recipe I can see myself making all throughout the upcoming Christmas period.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        November 06, 2014 at 10:31 am

        Thanks 🙂 It’s definitely a very festive drink for the upcoming holidays!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    Get Ready for Summer

    Smoked Brisket

    What’s on our Grill

    The Best Gluten Free Drop Biscuits – 5 Ingredients

    Smoked Hot Honey Ribs Recipe

    Vegetarian Chorizo Recipe with Cauliflower

    Hot Honey Pizza on a serving dish

    Hot Honey Pizza with Prosciutto and Ricotta

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Vindulge Wine Club

    join the wine club side bar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    2.8K shares
    • 699