Bourbon-Cider Mule

by Cindi Sutter, Founder & Editor Spirited Table®—All content provided by By Karen Schroeder-Rankin at Southern Living.

CREDIT: VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLING: MELISSA GRAY; PROP STYLING: AUDREY DAVIS

We're calling it now: This Bourbon-Cider Mule is the drink of the season. A traditional Moscow mule is made with vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer. Our version takes an autumnal approach, swapping the vodka for bourbon and adding in apple cider.

Sweet, spicy, and boozy, this cocktail packs a punch from the bourbon, which is tempered by sweet apple cider. The ginger beer provides a nice bite of spice that goes oh-so-well with the apple cider. Then, at the last minute, the lime comes in to cut the drink with a punch of acidity, creating a perfectly well-rounded fall beverage. This apple cider bourbon mule is a classic Saturday-afternoon-watching-football kind of drink, but it wouldn't be out of place at any autumnal event.

This recipe is single-serving, but easily doubles to make 2 cocktails. You can even make it a mocktail—this light and fizzy drink also tastes great without the bourbon. Serve in a cute copper mule mug to complete the look.

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

  • ¼ cup bourbon

  • ¼ cup filtered apple cider

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • Ice, divided

  • ½ cup nonalcoholic ginger beer

  • Garnish: lime wheel and apple slice

Instructions

  • Step 1

    Combine bourbon, filtered apple cider, and fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled, about 30 seconds, and strain into a copper mug or rocks glass filled with ice. Top with nonalcoholic ginger beer, and garnish with a lime wheel and an apple slice. 

Food & Drink, Drinks and SpiritsCynthia SutterCindi Sutter, CREDIT: VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLING, #CREDIT:MELISSA GRAY; PROP STYLING, #Credit:AUDREY DAVIS, #SouthernLiving, #bourbon-cidermule, #drinkoftheseason, #applecidertips, #KarenSchroeder-Rankin-Southern LivingComment