The All American Cocktail Recipe: A Slightly Sweet Bourbon Cocktail

all american cocktail recipe
The result is still on the sweet side, but pretty delicious.

For this past President’s Day, I decided to create something that used American ingredients. Patriotic, right? Well, mainly it seemed like it would be delicious. That’s really my primary concern when putting together a cocktail. I also wanted to explore a bit and see if I could get some apple flavor in there without just pouring whiskey into apple juice.

So … we have something a little unique, here. I took sparkling apple cider (the non-alcoholic kind), added some sugar and spices, and reduced it down by about half to create a syrup. This is a really easy process, not much different from making simple syrup, so don’t let it scare you away from making this drink!

Once I had the syrup ready, I mixed it with bourbon and a bit of corn whiskey … which is basically un-aged bourbon. Finally I added lemon juice to cut the sweetness and a splash more sparkling cider to give it a little fizz.

The result is still on the sweet side, but pretty delicious. If you like a drier drink, in general, then I suggest cutting the apple syrup to a quarter of an ounce.

This article is a modified and enhanced version of a post that ran on my nightly cocktail blog, DrinkShouts.

all american cocktail recipe

The All American Cocktail Recipe

A slightly sweet bourbon cocktail
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 1 Drink

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients except cider in a cocktail shaker over ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, top with the cider, and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Apple Syrup

Total Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Medium saucepan
  • Storage bottle

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Apple Cider
  • 2 tbsp. Sugar
  • 1/2 stick Cinnamon
  • 1 Star anise
  • 1 chunk Peeled Fresh Ginger
  • 5 Black Peppercorns

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar incorporates. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the syrup reduce by half. Cool, strain, and bottle. Keeps in the fridge for about a month.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Christopher Buecheler

Christopher Buecheler is a novelist, a web developer, an award-winning amateur mixologist, a brewer, a guitarist, a drummer, and an NBA enthusiast. He lives a semi-nomadic life with his wife and two cats, currently residing in Providence, RI. You can learn more at his website, cwbuecheler.com.