Ciderhouse Whiskey

Posted on October 28, 2013 Updated on October 28, 2013

Alright, here is the first of the recipes and of course I start with booze!  This recipe I found on Saveur’s website.  I thought it sounded amazing and it was!  How can you go wrong with bourbon and cider?  I make a similar version that involves bourbon, cider, and sparkling wine — very festive.  Anyhoo, here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 oz. bourbon
• 1 oz. cider syrup
• strip of lemon zest
• ice

Combine bourbon and cider syrup over ice and stir.  Twist the lemon zest to release the lemon oil and drop into the drink.  Stir again and serve!

Notes — Cider syrup is essentially some cider that has been really boiled down.  I started out with about 6 – 7 cups of cider and boiled it down to about a cup or a cup and a half.  It maybe filled the syrup dispenser shown in the pics to about 80%.  According to the recipe, you’ll need to boil it down gently for about 2 hours; mine took about 3. . . The bourbon that I used is from the Grand Traverse Distillery in Traverse City.  I had gone up there for a vacation just before the summer tourist season started.  I was absolutely floored by it!  This was one of the places that I had definitely wanted to visit while up north and I was not disappointed.  They only make some small batches and they only had a few bottles left when I was there.  Luckily I had picked up a bottle for me and one as a gift.  What’s nice is that they do their very best to use locally produced grains to make their spirits.  I believe that everything is Michigan made, except for the bourbon — I think they need to get the barley from out-of-state.  If I remember correctly, it is 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% barley.  I was familiar with their high quality vodkas and now they are working on making a gin and rum as well.  I can’t wait to go back and see what else they’ve got and luckily they are building a tasting room in Novi, MI so I won’t have to drive up to Traverse City to get myself a taste!. . .