The Simple Way To Transform Your Bourbon Apple Cider Into A Sour

While apple cider has a way of screaming "autumn," this delicious drink should be used year-round. It complements additional flavors beautifully, making it easy to transform it into a warming winter drink or a refreshing summer one. While delicious in its natural state, bourbon pairs great with apple cider if you're looking for something on the boozier side: With notes of caramel and vanilla, combining the two is a match made in heaven (via The Pioneer Woman).

While there are various ways to make a bourbon apple cider, MasterClass recommends using unfiltered apple cider (non-alcoholic or alcoholic), made from pressing fresh apples. To this, bourbon is added to make the simplest version of a bourbon apple cider. To make things more exciting, they provide suggestions to spice it up by adding in fun garnishes, additional flavorings such as spices or syrups, or sweeteners. With this said, there's one idea that got us really excited: Turning it into a sour.

Before we dive deeper, it's important to start with one essential question: What is a sour? In its most simple form, according to Difford's Guide, a sour is a combination of a spirit, water, sugar, and citrus. While the first known written recipes of sours include either brandy, gin, or rum — dating back to 1862 — it's a whiskey sour that remains popular on cocktail lists. This being said, its first mention was only a mere 8 years later, so it's not inconceivable as to why it's a classic cocktail.

To turn your bourbon apple cider into a sour, MasterClass recommends adding some lemon juice along with something that adds sweetness. We recommend some sugar, honey, or even a homemade simple syrup. In addition, feel free to optionally add some egg white. If you choose to use egg, they recommend shaking the egg white along with the rest of the ingredients in the cocktail shaker; This will result in a frothy drink. Looking to keep the drink vegan? Try using a aquafaba instead of egg white.