Cider House Old Fashioned
Bourbon, reduced apple cider, bitters and a cinnamon stick over a big rock. The autumn Old Fashioned with cider syrup for sugar — apple, spice and oak, and the drink for the first cold weekend.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Make the syrup: simmer two cups of fresh apple cider until it reduces to half a cup, and cool.
Add the cider syrup and bitters to a rocks glass with the cinnamon stick.
Add the bourbon and a large ice cube and stir for 20 seconds.
Leave the cinnamon stick in and add an apple slice if you like.
A thoughtful finish
- Reduce real, cloudy cider; filtered apple juice makes a flat syrup.
- Half an ounce; the syrup is concentrated.
- A quarter-ounce of applejack in place of some bourbon doubles the apple.
Common mistakes
- Unreduced cider, which waters the drink down.
- Too much syrup.
- Ground cinnamon, which clouds it.
A few good questions.
What does a Cider House Old Fashioned taste like?
An Old Fashioned with concentrated apple and a cinnamon warmth — autumn in a glass.
How do I make cider syrup?
Simmer fresh cider until it reduces by three-quarters; it keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Can I use boiled cider?
Yes; it is the same thing, bottled.
Rye or bourbon?
Bourbon; its sweetness suits the apple.
Variations
- Old Fashioned — Whiskey, sugar and bitters.
- Fig Old Fashioned — Bourbon, fig syrup and bitters.
- Stone Fence — Whiskey or applejack with hard cider.
- Hot Apple Cider Cocktail — Bourbon in hot spiced cider.
Where it comes from
c. 2010s · United States
Apple cider syrup — fresh cider boiled down by three-quarters until it is thick and tart-sweet — is a New England pantry staple, and the 2010s Old Fashioned wave put it in the glass as the autumn sweetener: a Cider House or Apple Cider Old Fashioned is bourbon with a half-ounce of cider syrup, Angostura and a cinnamon stick, sometimes with apple bitters, an apple slice or a splash of applejack. The syrup’s acid keeps the drink from going sweet, and the cinnamon stick, stirred, gives it a mulled note. It appears on American menus every October and in Difford’s and the usual sites. Reduce the cider yourself; the bottled ‘boiled cider’ is the same thing.
Sources
- Difford's Guide, Apple Cider Old Fashioned, 2014 (reference)
- Robert Simonson, The Old-Fashioned, 2014 (book)
- Liquor.com, Apple Cider Old Fashioned, 2020 (reference)
Strength. About 1.54 US standard drinks at an estimated 30.2% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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