Apple Butter Old Fashioned.
Autumn is here, and that means this apple butter old fashioned needs to be on your Sunday to-do list.
If there was ever a fall cocktail to love, this has got to be it. It’s loaded with all things warm and cozy…hello to homemade apple butter, cider, lemon, orange bitters, bourbon, and ginger beer for topping. This has been my go-drink now for the past couple weeks. I first made it when my brother was home last week. My family seems to wander on over to my house come the five o’clock hour, and they somehow always talk me into making them drinks.
Granted it’s not that hard to talk me into it, one, because I don’t use the word no often enough when it comes to making things for them, and two, because I actually love making drinks. Something about making drinks is so fun and just puts me in a good mood…
Anyway, I was in the middle working on another recipe when my brother showed up, so I decided to use everything that I had out on the counter. Surprisingly, everything I had out happened to make a great cocktail.
I grabbed a mason jar and added the apple cider, lemon juice, orange bitters (ok these were not on the counter, but they were an easy grab from the pantry), apple butter, and bourbon (honestly, I had just been doing some fall baking with it!). I shook everything up (and no, I don’t own a cocktail shaker, so mason jars for the win). Poured it over ice and topped it off with just a little ginger beer because I kind of just top off all cocktails with ginger beer.
The verdict? SO GOOD. Actually, he said I should really consider being a bar tender…ahh yeah, no thanks.
I guess that’s a compliment though, and I have to say, the drink was so good. It has all the right amounts of autumn flavor, but it’s not over powering in any way.
The bourbon and apple butter go hand in hand, and using apple butter in cocktails is an easy way to add flavor and sweetness without having to add a simple syrup.
Bottom line? This probably needs to be your drink of fall, and you probably need to make it once…or twice…or you know, how ever many times you need to this weekend. Obviously.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Apple Butter Old Fashioned
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bourbon cocktail, cocktail, fall cocktail
Autumn is here and that means this apple butter old fashioned needs to be on your Saturday to-do list. If there was ever a fall cocktail to love, this has got to be it. It's loaded with all things warm and cozy...hello to homemade apple butter, cider, lemon, orange bitters, bourbon, and ginger beer for topping.
Ingredients
- coarse sugar, for the rim (optional)
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- dash of orange bitters
- 1 tablespoon apple butter
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ginger beer or ginger kombucha, for topping (optional)
- thinly sliced apples and cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
-
1. If desired, rim your glass with coarse sugar.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the apple cider, lemon juice, orange bitters, apple butter and bourbon. Shake to combine.
3. Strain into your prepared glass filled with ice. If desired top with ginger beer. Garnish with cinnamon and apples. DRINK!
ps. prepare to see lots of smoke leading up to Halloween. Loving the spookiness. <–and there’s the major dork in me coming out. Don’t even care. Love this time of year!
Dear Tieghan, this drink sounds amazing and right up my street! But can you please tell me what apple butter is, I’ve never heard of it? Thank you! Linda
Hi Linda,
Apple butter is just apples that are cooked and then blended or pureed into a smooth consistency. You can make your own usually in a slow cooker or it is usually located near the nut butters in the grocery store! Hope this helps! Oh and it tastes really great on toast too! ?
Just gorgeous, the perfect cocktail for the season!
Thank you Laura!
I can’t wait to make this!! I’m loving all your fall flavors and you always have the best drinks! Can’t wait for your Apple butter recipe! ???
Awh thanks so much Amy! I hope you love this one!
This sounds amazimg. Can’t wait for all of the fall recipes, especially desserts, which include bourbon.
YES! Loving fall recipes right now! I hope you love this, thank you Pika!
These sound delicious and look beautiful. And the glass itself is stunning! What kind of glass cup is it??
Hi Rachel!! That is a Weck jar. You can find them at the link below.
http://rstyle.me/n/csr2xfb9wzf
The Weck jar’s the one in the recipe for the apple butter itself, isn’t it? I think Rachel meant the cocktail glass? Just butting in here cause I’d like to know myself who makes those glasses ^^ The cocktail sounds so delicious, and since the weather’s perfect for it around here right now, I’ll try it tonight 🙂
Hey Ellie! The glasses are from Crate and Barrel. Link below. Thank you!
https://www.crateandbarrel.com/tour-wine-glasses/f35737
This cocktail sounds absolutely delicious! I agree, whipping up drinks is a lot of fun. 🙂
Yes! Thank you Elizabeth!
You always come up with the most festive and creative seasonal recipes, Tieghan!!! Thank you for always being a source of inspiration 🙂
Thank you Sarah!
Old but gold! May I ask how you rimmed the glass?
Just run a lemon wedge around the rim of the glass and then dip through sugar. Hope you love this recipe!
What brand of Ginger Beer do you recommend?
I use Reeds or Goslings. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the this. thanks! 🙂
This is delicious! I really liked the addition of the ginger beer; I used a bit of Cock and Bull.
Thank you Maia!
Hi! This looks delicious and I’d love to incorporate it into my Thanksgiving menu. Do you have a recipe with proportions that will fill a pitcher instead of making it one glass at a time?
Sure thing! See below! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe. Thank you! ?
coarse sugar, for the rim (optional)
2 cups apple cider
juice from 4 lemons
4 dashes of orange bitters
1/2 cup apple butter
16 ounces (2 cups) bourbon
4 (12 ounce) ginger beer or ginger kombucha, for topping
thinly sliced apples and cinnamon, for garnish
Happy Thanksgiving!
I plan to serve the Apple Butter Old Fashoned for my guests at Thanksgiving.
Do you have a recipe for a big batch?
Thanks!
We made this drink this past fall with our friends and it was great! Thanks!
Please tell me what the red berry garnish in the drink
Hey Tart! That’s honestly just a wild flower from my yard…I am not sure of the variety. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Can I substitute maple butter for the apple butter? I can’t find it in the store and don’t have time to make from scratch.
Yes you could do that. However Apple Butter should be with the jams and jellies especially this time of year. Let me know if you have any other questions! X Kelly
Hey HBH,
Great drink, I love the use of homemade apple butter.
You know, I make my own apple butter at home too!
But my recipe is a little different than yours.
Oh, you would like to know what I put in it?
I’m glad you asked.
You see, you are the apple of my eye, so I like to put just a lil bit of you in there, if ya know what I mean ;).
Haha, jk, ?
Anyways, have a good day.
Yours truly,
Agnes the Apple Butter Babymomma
I am so glad you like this Agnes! Thank you! xTieghan
What is that purple sprig you have used for garnish? There is no mention of it in the recipe.
Hi Sabina! That is just a wild flower I picked from the yard. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
this was my go-to fall/winter signature cocktail with the substitutions as printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer: 1 teaspoon of orange zest and 2 tablespoons of orange juice instead of the lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.
thank you Tieghan!!!
Thank you so much Eileen! So glad you have been loving this recipe! xTieghan
I love a plain ol’ old fashioned. It maybe is my favorite cocktail. I tried this recipe and the apple cider vinegar is very forward in this recipe, especially acidic with the addition of the lemon juice. Next time I will try it without any ACV or lemon juice with the apple butter in place of the usual sugar in the drink. Regardless, it is beautiful, just a bit too acidic for my taste.
Thank you so much Alicia! If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know! xTieghan
Wanting to try this for a couples’ game night this Fall! Do you think it’d work to make a big batch all the way through to straining and leaving in a pitcher possibly? Thanks so much!
Hey Cara,
Yes, that will work! Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan
Just made this and didn’t realize what I had was pumpkin butter and not apple butter honestly it is SO good. This is the perfect fall cocktail and I can’t wait to try it how it’s supposed to be with apple butter! But also 10/10 with pumpkin!!
I am so happy this turned out so well for you, Eliza! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
We made these tonight and they are AMAZING! New favorite cocktail and the perfect fall flavors. We used diet ginger ale for the splash of soda since that’s what we already had. Thank you so much for this recipe, we will definitely make them again!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you for trying this recipe, Michelle! xTieghan
I am deeply disappointed that this isn’t called an old fallshioned.
Haha that is too good! The next one I should do that! xTieghan
Yum!!!! I am wanting to make this the signature cocktail for Thanksgiving!! If I were to make a premix without the alcohol before hand, how many days do you think it would last in the fridge. I’m traveling(by car) but don’t want to bring everything to their house.
Thank you!!
Love this recipe! I am also wondering about how long it would last once mixed. Trying to figure out if I can make this in bottles for gifts! Thank you.
Thank you so much Dave! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan