Harvest Moon
Bourbon, apple cider, lemon, cinnamon syrup and bitters, shaken over ice. An autumn bourbon sour under a menu name — the directory's version, built on the Stone Fence and the Whiskey Sour.
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.
Add the bourbon, cider, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup and bitters to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake for 10 seconds.
Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick and an apple slice.
A thoughtful finish
- Cloudy fresh cider; filtered juice is flat.
- A quarter-ounce of cinnamon syrup; it is strong.
- A splash of soda for a longer drink.
Common mistakes
- Apple juice from concentrate.
- Too much cinnamon syrup.
- Skipping the lemon; the cider needs the acid.
A few good questions.
What does a Harvest Moon taste like?
Bourbon with fresh apple, lemon and a cinnamon warmth over ice — an autumn sour.
Is this a classic?
No; it is a name many bars use for different autumn drinks, and this is the directory's bourbon version.
Can I use hard cider?
Yes; it makes a drier, fizzy drink closer to a Stone Fence.
Rye or bourbon?
Bourbon; rye is drier and also good.
Variations
- Stone Fence — Whiskey or applejack with hard cider.
- Autumn Sour — Bourbon, lemon, maple, cider and egg white.
- Cider House Old Fashioned — Bourbon, cider syrup and bitters.
- Hot Apple Cider Cocktail — Bourbon in hot spiced cider.
Where it comes from
c. 2010s · United States
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
‘Harvest Moon’ is a name bars give to a dozen different autumn drinks — there is a gin one, a rum one and several bourbon ones — and none has settled as a classic. There is no single published recipe under this name; it is a menu name that bars use for a family of drinks, and the version here is the directory’s own, built from the classic it riffs on. It takes the Stone Fence’s pairing of whiskey and apple cider, adds the Whiskey Sour’s lemon for acid and a cinnamon syrup for the season, and shakes it over ice with a dash of Angostura. Fresh, cloudy cider is the point; the syrup is light so the apple leads. A cinnamon stick and an apple slice are the garnish, and a splash of soda makes it a long drink.
Sources
- Difford's Guide, Stone Fence, 2010 (reference)
- Liquor.com, Fall Bourbon Cocktails, 2020 (reference)
- Robert Simonson, The Old-Fashioned, 2014 (book)
Strength. About 1.52 US standard drinks at an estimated 17.1% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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