Drinks from the Garden: Apple Cider Whiskey Sour Smash

Do you smell it? PSL is everywhere but I promise you there is a better smell out there. Fall is the season for warm sweaters, bonfires, and anything that tastes like an orchard. As someone who dislikes Pumpkin in almost everything, I think the season was co-opted. But I think we can take it back! An apple is the true sign of the season, not some lumpy gourd.

The next drink in our series of Drinks from the Garden is one for you if you grow apple trees or live near an orchard. This Apple Cider Whiskey Sour Smash takes the classic whiskey sour and fills it with fresh cider, spiced cinnamon syrup, and a bright squeeze of lemon. While I don’t generally eat baked goods, this drink tastes like apple pie in a glass, with a real backbone underneath and a lot less carbs.

I wanted a drink that feels like a crisp, sunny, autumn afternoon at the orchard but still earns its place at a dinner party. This one delivers! And bonus, the syrup is kept in the fridge so you can make a drink in about two minutes for several weeks.

Challenges with Growing Apples

One thing I want to note about apple trees is that some of the success of growing them directly depends on the area you live in. Since this is a blog about gardens, I figured this should be said and Kristin will correct me if I have any errors.

Apple trees generally want a cold winter, a mild spring, and a long summer that isn’t too hot. There are few places that offer all three, so every growing region has its own struggle. That’s part of why a jug of cider from a good local orchard is worth hunting down. Here are a few things to keep in mind about growing apples depending on where you live.

• Northeast and New England: This area grows amazing apples (where I am from and my favorite cideries are located) but late spring frosts can wipe out a year’s blossoms. Wet weather also invites apple scab and fire blight. Both of these can pose serious challenges to apples growing well.
• Upper Midwest and Northern Plains: Around this area, harsh winters are the biggest challenges that trees have to face. Those conditions can kill trees that aren’t bred for the cold, so growers tend to stick to cold-hardy varieties like Honeycrisps and Macs.
• Southeast and Mid-South: Where I live now we can have warm, humid summers that feed fungal diseases like fire blight, cedar apple rust, and bitter rot. These challenges may explain why there aren’t that many orchards near us.  Mild winters can also shortchange the cold temperatures the trees need and occasional random late frosts can do serious damage to the trees after blossoms have come.
• Texas, the Gulf Coast, and the Southwest: To me, this are makes the most sense that it would be challenging for apples based on what we know that apple trees need. This area runs into extreme heat, drought can be a yearly occurrence, and too little winter chill makes most traditional varieties struggle to grow
• California and the Mountain West: Many California valleys are too mild in winter, so apples do best in cooler the foothills and coastal areas. In the Rockies, short seasons, late frosts, hail, and dry air make orchards a gamble.
• Pacific Northwest: Other than New England, this is one of the best apple regions in the country, thanks to dry summers and cool nights. Even so, growers will deal with pests like codling moths, and summer heat waves that sunburn fruit. Yeah, fruit can get a sunburn too!

So when you pick apples for eating or take on the extra step of making apple syrup, try to buy from an orchard near you. Someone worked hard to beat the odds in your corner of the country and you should support them. #buylocal

Why Apples and Whiskey Belong Together

Since I like history and learning in general, I looked up why these two work so well together. Any good whiskey is generally aged in charred oak barrels. These barrels give the whiskey notes of vanilla, caramel, and baking spice.These are all things that you find in apple pie, so why not in a drink?  

Picking A Whiskey: Bourbon is the easiest match, since its vanilla and caramel sweetness leans right into the apple. You could also go with a rye which adds peppery spice and keeps the drink from getting too sweet. I would bet either would work. Ultimately, I would choose a whiskey you like- don’t go and get something that is just for this drink.

Apples: When you want to just eat an apple or a baked good with whiskey, I would look for firm, flavorful apples that hold their character when cooked. Granny Smith (my favorite), Honeycrisp, and Braeburn all work well. You could also use this to make a simple syrup using apples instead of honey. This would be great but it’s a bit more work.

Choosing a Cider: This is incredibly important. Don’t get Apple Juice (usually it’s pasteurized, has added sugar and is shelf stable). You are looking for fresh (should be in a cooler in the fridge section of the fruits and vegetable isle), unfiltered apple cider. If you can get it from a local orchard it is worth seeking out this time of year. If you don’t have a local one, Simple Apple from the Simple Lemonade company makes for a decent cider (although they call it apple juice but it’s actually cider, you’ll see it’s cloudy).

The Recipe

Makes 1 cocktail, plus enough syrup for about 8 drinks. Prep time: 25 minutes.

Apple Simple Syrup (If you dare)

• 2 medium apples, cored and diced (no need to peel)
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1 strip of orange peel

1. Combine everything in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the apples are soft and the liquid is lightly syrupy.
3. Mash the apples gently with a spoon to release their juices.
4. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the fruit. Discard the solids.
5. Cool completely. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

As you can see, this is a lot of extra work. Or you can go with the Cinnamon version below. A lot easier!

Cinnamon Simple Syrup (A little extra work)

• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks

1. Combine everything in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2. Simmer until the sugar dissolves
3. Cool completely. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

The Cocktail

• 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
• 1 oz fresh apple cider
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters (optional)
• Top off with Seltzer or Club Soda
• Ice

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the bitters and ice in a shaker with no ice and shake hard for 15 seconds (a dry shake).
2. Add ice and shake again for 15 to 20 seconds, until the shaker is very cold.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and seltzer.
4. Dash the bitters on top
5. Garnish with an apple slice fan and a cinnamon stick to make it fancy!

Tips and Variations

Here’s a few ideas on how to add some tips or variations of this recipe. 

• Make it a batch. Multiply the cocktail ingredients by the number of guests and stir them together with a splash of water. Chill the pitcher and pour over ice when people arrive.
• Serve it warm. Heat the whiskey, cider, lemon juice, and syrup gently in a saucepan (don’t boil) for a cozy hot toddy. Skip the ice.
• Add a little fizz. Shake the ingredients with ice, strain into a glass, and top with a splash of ginger beer.
• Make it lighter. Use 1.5 oz whiskey and add an extra half ounce of cider.
• Use the leftovers. The apple simple syrup is great over pancakes, stirred into oatmeal, or added to hot tea.

I’d love to hear how yours turns out. Let me know in the comments which apples and whiskey you used, and cheers to a delicious fall.