Cocktail Friday: Bourbon Apple Cider

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.

More apple-y/cider-y recipes:

• Healthy Baked Apples

• Grandma Della's Fried Apples

• Apple Cheddar Scones

• Apple Crisp with Maple Syrup & Pomegranate

• Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

Yield: 1

Author: Rachael

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Bourbon Apple Cider

Prep time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min

Ingredients

Bourbon Apple Cider

• 4 oz apple cider
• 2 oz bourbon
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• orange wedge
• rosemary sprig

Instructions

to make this cocktail:

1. Begin by combining the cinnamon and sugar together on a plate.
2. 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.
3. In a shaker filled with ice, combine the cider and bourbon and stir to combine. Strain into your ice filled glass.
4. 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.

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Crested Butte, Colorado

Some of my happiest memories as a child were made during family road trips to Tennessee. My sister and I spent the entire drive being as goofy as possible; we built "forts" with blankets in the backseat of the mini-van, which in hindsight was probably not the safest thing for my dad as he drove; we blasted the air-conditioning so we could bundle up and get a little break from the heavy, humid air and Southern heat; we laughed until our stomachs hurt and tears ran down our cheeks, usually over things no one else would understand. As I head toward 30, I'm happy that my sister and I can still recreate that silly, giggly feeling from our younger years, even if those moments are few and far between now that we live so far apart.

Brad, Riley and I began a similar tradition with our family when we drove to Crested Butte from Denver last week. Riley may not have a sibling to laugh with yet, but he and Decorah the dog entertained each other just fine. Sometimes, Brad and I would peak in the backseat to find Riley smiling like a total goofball at himself in the mirror attached to the headrest of his seat. Other times, we would sit and listen as he babbled on about this or that. We had no idea what he was saying, but he was quite sure of himself and every sound was wonderfully expressive.

Just as my family had places where we had to stop on the way to Tennessee, we have our favorite  as well. Camp 4 Coffee is one of those places. The first time I went to Crested Butte was probably 5 years ago. Brad and I made the trip with his parents and they showed us around the town. Camp 4 was one of those places that, long after leaving the little mountain town, I never forgot. Each time we return to the coffee shop, everything tastes even better than what I remember. The lattés are absolutely perfect when enjoyed outside the shop in the crisp, mountain air and warm sun. A fresh-baked cake donut doesn't hurt either...

One of my favorite memories from this trip has to be taking Riley sledding for the first time. The smile on his face was so infectious. I was reminded of winter days spent sledding in Minnesota on the hills of a nearby golf course. We would sled until our cheeks were pink and slightly numb from the cold and we had screamed in excitement at least a dozen times as we flew down the hill in our plastic sleds. We would then go home to the warm kitchen and sit down to sip some hot chocolate and thaw out. Quintessential winter moments like these should be experienced by every child. I can't wait for next year when we can do it all over again and see how Riley has grown since this first ride.

One of the greatest parts about the trip was being able to take in the view from the patio. Each time I see the massive mountains all around us my breath catches in my chest and I am in total awe of how amazing this earth is. After living in Japan, I had forgotten that the United States has some pretty incredible sights to see. This trip was exactly the reminder I needed.

I think we tend to take short vacations for granted. No matter where you go, a few days away from the stresses that can accumulate at home is often enough to make you appreciate the day to day stuff. When we returned from this trip, I walked into our new house and felt, for the first time since moving here from Japan, like it was a relief to be "home". Between the new memories we made, traditions we started, and the quiet time Brad and I had together, this was the perfect vacation.

Now the question is, when can we go back?