Recipe Review

Simple Cocktails with Fresh Apple Cider Straight Up Cocktails

updated Jan 29, 2020
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Sweetly tangy, and satisfyingly robust, fresh-pressed apple cider is springing up in greenmarkets and grocery stores everywhere right now. Equally delicious drunk cold straight from the fridge, or warmed over the stove with a dash of spice, this seasonal treat is something I really look forward to every fall.

All this got me thinking: a liquid ingredient this good has got to have some serious cocktail potential. A browse through the Internet turned up some especially tasty-sounding options:

  • Spiced Apple Cider: apple cider, cinnamon, anise, cloves, dark rum, oranges (from The Kitchn’s archives)
  • Sagatiba Autumn Breeze: apple cider, cachaca, cinnamon liqueur, cranberry juice, lime juice (via Sagatiba website)
  • Northern Spy: apple cider, applejack, lemon juice, apricot brandy (via Serious Eats)
  • Apple Cider Cocktail: apple cider, Calvados, brandy, lemon juice, maple syrup (from Williams-Sonoma’s Holiday Entertaining, via Pittsburg Post-Gazette)
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

But as tantalizing as these recipes sounded, I was looking for something quick and simple that could be mixed up with the minimum number of ingredients – and preferably things already on hand. Then I came across the Stone Fence. Dating back to the days of the American Revolution, this one’s an oldie, but a goodie: rich and fresh tasting – the perfect treat for a fall day.

Stone Fence (adapted from Imbibe! by David Wondrich)
(makes one cocktail)

2 ounces bourbon (rum or brandy are other options)
fresh apple cider (approximately 5-6 ounces)

Pour the bourbon into an Old Fashioned or Collins glass, add two or three ice cubes, and top up with apple cider. Stir gently.

What’s your favorite way to drink apple cider?

(Images: Nora Maynard)