This post may include affiliate links; see our disclosure policy.
This bourbon cider cocktail has all the warm and cozy feels, featuring a ginger pomegranate syrup, orange, and cinnamon.
Have you heard of hygge (pronounced hoo-ga)? Alex and I first heard the word here and it’s captured our imagination ever since. It’s the Danish word for coziness, and the strategy behind how they get through the cold, dark winter months: roaring fires, fuzzy sweaters, warm cider, lighting candles, playing games with friends and family. We absolutely love that there’s a word for this concept. So we created a fall cocktail recipe to go along with it: this apple cider bourbon cocktail! Keep reading for the recipe.
How to make this bourbon cocktail
For us right now, hygge is coming home after a long day at work, putting on sweats and snuggling with blankets and our puppy Luna as we watch a favorite show. In the weeks ahead, it will be laughing with family over games, hot cocoa, and of course this apple cider bourbon cocktail. Because if there’s anything that tastes like hygge, it’s this smooth, ruby red spiced drink.
When Alex surprised me with the idea of making a ginger pomegranate syrup, spiced with cinnamon and cloves, and then mixing it with apple cider and bourbon to make this cocktail. He’s the mixologist of the two of us and I’m a willing guinea pig. He mixed it up for me live in our latest podcast, so I was a bit nervous as I took the first sip. Luckily it hit the spot: sweetly spiced and, well, totally cozy.
Have you heard of hygge, and if so, have you tried it? This is going to be our strategy for getting through the cold months ahead – we’ll let you know how it goes!
Looking for more easy cocktail recipes?
Outside of this apple cider bourbon cocktail recipe, here are a few of our favorite cocktail recipes:
- BEST Classic Margarita
- Favorite Whiskey Sour
- Easy Frozen Sangria
- Best Frose Recipe (Frozen Rosé)
- Best Frozen Margarita Recipe
- Best Margarita Salt
- Salt Air Margarita
- Lemonade Slushie
- Strawberry Margarita with Lime Ice
- Bloody Mary Recipe
- 23 Classic Cocktails
- Lavender Lemon Spritzer
- Cherry Blueberry Champagne Sparklers
Looking for other drink recipes?
And a few more popular drink recipes over here:
- Lemon Herb Cucumber Water Recipe
- Pomegranate Non Alcoholic Spritzer
- Lavender Lemon Spritzer
- Sparkling Blood Orange Rosemary Water
- How to Use a Chemex to Make Coffee
- How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
- How to Make Kombucha
This bourbon cider cocktail recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, plant-based, naturally sweet, and refined sugar free.
Bourbon Cider Cocktail
This bourbon cider cocktail has all the warm and cozy feels, featuring a ginger pomegranate syrup, orange, and cinnamon.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 drinks 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients
For the pomegranate syrup
- 1 cup 100% pomegranate juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1-inch nub of peeled fresh ginger (Tip: peel the ginger using a spoon)
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
For the cocktails
- 8 ounces pomegranate syrup (recipe above)
- 8 ounces bourbon
- 8 ounces apple cider
- 1 orange
- 8 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Make the pomegranate syrup: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, except for ½ cup of the pomegranate juice. Bring to a simmer and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in another ½ cup pomegranate juice. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate until the mixture comes to room temperature. (Makes 8 ounces)
- For each drink, combine 1 ounce each of the pomegranate syrup, bourbon, and apple cider. Garnish with a twist of orange peel and 1 cinnamon stick.
Do you strain the syrup before storing? Can’t wait to bring this to our family at Christmas!
Stunning photos!!!!! Loved hearing Sonja try this on air. :)
Thank you! I was a little nervous, but not TOO nervous since Alex is a pretty good mixologist :)
This sounds so good! I’m seriously thinking about making this for my family’s Thanksgiving this year. Thanks for a great recipe! And I love that name so much.
So excited for you to try this. Let us know what your family thinks — hopefully it can bring some hygge! :)
Hygge is one of my favourite concepts, and bourbon is my favourite alcohol… So clearly, this cocktail and I are a match made in liquor heaven. It would be perfect at Thanksgiving, but also at the opening to any holiday cocktail party. This is one recipe I will definitely try
Let us know if you give it a try! You’re right, I think this would work for the holiday season too! What are your other favorite cocktails with bourbon or others?
What a beautiful + warming cocktail! I’ve been starting to foray a bit into the world of mixed drinks myself and it’s fascinating how drinks can be as complex as food. I think my first cocktail ever was a vodka cranberry at my college bar… not a good start! This is certainly a far cry from that and I can’t wait to try it!
Haha! Yes, we’re intrigued by the complexity of drinks too. (Speaking of, your recent smoothie drink looks fab.)
Hygge season is the best! I live in Copenhagen – and the spirit of Hygge is a spectacular approach to winter. :) Gløgg is another hyggelig (the adjective of hygge) & delicious drink to eat fireside or in the company of lots of candles and good friends.
I love your blog and have been following it for quite sometime (I used to live in Indy and JD introduced me to your blog years ago!). Let me know if you ever want to hear more about hygge! I can always put you in contact with some danes over here. :)
Warmly (or hyggelig, rather),
Christiana
Ahh, our very own hygge expert! This is so fun – thank you so much for commenting. We would love to hear more about hygge – a more in depth convo may make it onto the podcast!? :) Do you have any Danes who have a particular expertise in hygge? :) Let us know. Thank you so much for reading! (PS Love your name! My family is Norwegian so I’ve always had a fascination with Nordic names.)
I love the concept of hygge. I’ve heard that hygge can include reading a good book alone, or lingering at a dinner with friends, or catching up over coffee. I’m based in Minneapolis, which has long, cold, hard winters. I’ll definitely be embracing hygge to celebrate winter, because if I don’t celebrate it I’ll just be enduring it.
I’m from Minneapolis area originally – have we discussed this before?! Hygge must be how Minnesotans make it through the winter — I’ve lived in Indiana for the past 11 years and have definitely become much more of a wimp when it comes to winter :) Even here, I’ll need to up my hygge this year to make it through!