Brad and I took our first adults-only vacation together since Riley was born. We had 4 days in Crested Butte, a mountain town in Colorado, filled with getting to know what it is like to have a complete, uninterrupted conversation with each other. We slept in, read, sat at the bar at a restaurant; basically, we did all the things we can't do as parents. By the end of our trip, we were really anxious to get home to our little boy, but it was more than worth it to reconnect.
One night, we went to this wonderful pizza place in Crested Butte. We sat at the bar and watched the end of the Broncos game while sipping on cocktails and enjoying an appetizer. Next, we ordered a pizza which I am still swooning over. There was no rush; we ordered when we felt ready. When they brought the pizza to us, I knew almost before I took the first bite that it would be delicious. This simple pie had a chewy lemon-pepper crust topped with mozzarella, arugula, and shaved Parmesan. Amazing. When I get a good recipe for the lemon-pepper crust you can rest assured it will be here on the blog!
So, what does all of this have to do with this cocktail? Well, this is my interpretation of what we sipped on at the bar. The combination of apple cider mixed with bourbon, garnished with a cinnamon-sugar rimmed glass, a fresh orange wedge and a rosemary sprig is the perfect way to celebrate classic fall flavors. Come to think of it, it's the perfect cocktail for the beginning phases of (gasp!) winter. I was elated when it started snowing and we could curl up in front of the fireplace with nothing to do and nowhere to go.
Bourbon Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 4 oz apple cider
- 2 oz bourbon
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- orange wedge
- rosemary sprig
Instructions
- Begin by combining the cinnamon and sugar together on a plate.
- Run the orange wedge around the edge of your cocktail glass. Set the rim of the glass in the cinnamon and sugar then fill the glass with ice.
- In a shaker filled with ice, combine the cider and bourbon and stir to combine. Strain into your ice filled glass.
- Garnish with the orange slice and rosemary sprig.
Notes
If you'd like to make this for a crowd, simply stick to 2 parts cider, 1 part bourbon. You can mix the cocktail together ahead of time by combining the bourbon and cider in a pitcher and covering for a day or two until ready to serve.
