Why I love this apple butter old fashioned cocktail recipe
There’s something about bourbon cocktails that just seems right once the weather starts to cool off.
And an old fashioned is especially easy to give a fall twist since you can add seasonal flavors without turning it into a completely different drink.
For this version, apple butter and maple syrup bring in those warm fall flavors, while the bourbon and bitters keep the cocktail from becoming overly sweet.
It’s the kind of drink I like for fall entertaining because it feels a little special and seasonal, but still has everything I like about a classic old fashioned.
Ingredients
Here is your shopping list (for 1 cocktail):
- Alcohol – 1 cup bourbon
- Jarred goods – ¼ cup apple butter
- Syrup – ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- Flavoring – ½ teaspoon orange bitters, 1 teaspoon aromatic bitters.
- Fresh produce – 1 orange (for the peel), 1 apple, 1 lemon (the apple and lemon are only required if you want to use apple slices/wedges for the garnish)
- Garnish – Cinnamon stick
Substitutions & Additions
- For a spicier, drier drink, replace the bourbon with rye whiskey.
- You can substitute honey for the maple syrup, although it will change the flavor of the cocktail and won’t have the same maple notes. Since honey can be sweeter than maple syrup, you may want to start with a little less and adjust to taste.
How to make an apple butter old fashioned cocktail
1 | Prep work
Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove a narrow strip of peel from an orange with as little white pith as possible.
To make the apple slice garnish, you can either cut a thin round slice from an apple to float on top of the drink, or a thin wedge to put on the rim. (See the garnish section for more information.)
In either case, you’ll want to juice half a lemon onto a small plate and dip both sides of the apple in it to help prevent browning.
2 | Make the apple butter mixture
Add the apple butter, maple syrup, aromatic bitters, and orange bitters to a small saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring as the mixture warms, until everything is smooth and evenly combined.
Taste the mixture before continuing and adjust the maple syrup if you want it sweeter.
Do not let the mixture simmer or boil.
3 | Mix the cocktail
Pour the apple butter mixture into the shaker.
Fill the cocktail shaker half full with ice.
Make sure to leave enough room so you can stir it later.
Pour in the bourbon.
Stir the cocktail with the ice for about 30 seconds, until the shaker feels very cold.
This chills the drink and adds the small amount of water an Old Fashioned needs.
Stir rather than shake so the cocktail stays smooth instead of becoming aerated.
Normally, I would put the ice in the shaker after all of the drink ingredients have been added. But in this case, it is used to make sure the apple butter mixture is cool before adding the alcohol.4 | Pour the drink
Place one large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass.
A large cube melts more slowly than several smaller cubes, helping the finished drink stay cold without becoming diluted as quickly.
However, if you don’t happen to have large ice cubes, regular-sized ones will work, too.
Hold a cocktail strainer over the shaker and strain the chilled drink into an Old Fashioned glass, leaving the mixing ice behind in the shaker.
Hold the orange peel over the drink with the colored side facing the surface.
Gently bend or squeeze the peel to release the fragrant citrus oils, then drop the peel into the glass.
5 | Garnish
While the garnish is optional, it does make the cocktail look pretty.
For a floating garnish:
- Cut a very thin round slice from the apple.
- Then place it flat on the surface of the drink.
- Make sure that the apple is small enough to fit in the glass and still leave room for drinking.
For a rim garnish:
- Cut a small apple wedge.
- Use a sharp knife to cut a small slit into the flesh side of the wedge, stopping before you reach the peel.
- Slide the slit over the rim of the glass so the wedge stays securely in place.
Add a cinnamon stick to the glass for an extra fall touch, then serve the cocktail immediately before the ice has a chance to melt too much.
How to make a big batch
If you’re serving these apple butter old fashioned cocktails for a party, you can mix them in a pitcher ahead of time rather than making each cocktail individually. (I also like to prepare the garnishes in advance and store them wrapped in the refrigerator until I’m ready to use them.)
For a standard 1½-quart pitcher (which is enough for 16 3-ounce cocktails), combine:
- 4 cups bourbon
- 1 cup apple butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons aromatic bitters
- 2 teaspoons orange bitters
Prepare the apple butter, maple syrup and bitters as directed in the recipe, then stir in the bourbon.
Pour the mixture into the pitcher, cover it and keep it at room temperature until you’re ready to serve. Do NOT add ice or it will water down the cocktail.
The apple butter may settle as the mixture sits. Stir it thoroughly again just before serving to make sure it is evenly distributed.
To serve, add one large ice cube to each old fashioned glass and pour about 3 ounces of the cocktail mixture over the ice. The room-temperature mixture will melt some of the ice as it chills, providing some of the dilution that normally occurs when the cocktail is stirred with ice.
Express an orange peel over each glass, then add it to the drink. Finish with a cinnamon stick and/or fresh apple slice if desired.
If you want to make the mixture more than a few hours ahead of time, store it covered in the refrigerator. Take it out a couple of hours in advance so it has time to come back to room temperature before serving. Then stir it thoroughly to reincorporate the apple butter.
Apple Butter Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- ¼ cup apple butter
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon aromatic bitters
- ½ teaspoon orange bitters
- 1 cup bourbon
- Ice
- 4 narrow slices of orange peel
- 4 Cinnamon sticks, thin apple slices or wedges for garnish (optional)
- Lemon juice for dipping the apple slice
Equipment
- Vegetable peeler or paring knife
- saucepan
- jigger
- measuring spoons
- large shaker
- bar spoon
- 4 Old Fashioned glasses
- Cocktail strainer
Instructions
- Heat the apple butter, maple syrup, aromatic bitters, and orange bitters over low heat, stirring until everything is smooth and combined. Do not let it boil.¼ cup apple butter, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon aromatic bitters, ½ teaspoon orange bitters
- Pour the apple butter mixture into the shaker.
- Fill the cocktail shaker about half-way full with ice.Ice
- Add the bourbon.1 cup bourbon
- Stir for about 30 seconds until well chilled.
- Add one large ice cube to each of the old fashioned glasses.
- Strain the cocktail over the ice.
- Express an orange peel over each glass to release the citrus oils. Then add it to the drink.4 narrow slices of orange peel
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or a fresh apple slice or wedge (dipped in lemon juice to prevent it from browning). Serve immediately.4 Cinnamon sticks, thin apple slices or wedges, Lemon juice
Notes
- For a spicier, drier drink, replace the bourbon with rye whiskey.
- You can substitute honey for the maple syrup, although it will change the flavor of the cocktail and won’t have the same maple notes. Since honey can be sweeter than maple syrup, you may want to start with a little less and adjust to taste.
- Normally, I don’t put ice in the shaker until after all of the drink ingredients have been added. But in this case, the ice cools the apple butter mixture before the alcohol goes in.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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