Lightened-Up Spiked Apple Cider with Cinnamon Whiskey: Easy 3-Ingredient Cocktail
A warm, comforting cocktail that combines unsweetened apple cider with cinnamon whiskey for a cozy drink that feels indulgent without the sugar crash. Ready in under 10 minutes with just three main ingredients.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (960 ml) unsweetened apple cider (e.g., Martinelli’s or Simply Apple)
- 4 oz (120 ml) cinnamon whiskey (e.g., Fireball or Jim Beam Kentucky Fire)
- Optional: cinnamon sticks, apple slices, star anise, or honey for garnish
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup, honey, or monk fruit sweetener per serving
Instructions
- Pour 4 cups of apple cider into a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming, about 5-7 minutes. Do not boil; look for tiny bubbles around the edges.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in 4 oz of cinnamon whiskey.
- Taste and adjust sweetness or whiskey strength as desired. Add optional sweetener if needed.
- Prepare mugs: optionally rim with cinnamon-sugar by dipping in maple syrup then cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Ladle the hot cider into mugs, filling about three-quarters full. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, apple slice, or star anise.
- Serve immediately while hot. For parties, keep warm in a slow cooker on the ‘keep warm’ setting.
Notes
Do not boil the cider to avoid concentrating sugars. Add whiskey off the heat to prevent alcohol evaporation. For a non-alcoholic version, omit whiskey and add a cinnamon stick and vanilla extract. Leftover plain cider (without whiskey) can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 c
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 10
- Carbohydrates: 28
Keywords: spiked apple cider, cinnamon whiskey cocktail, easy cocktail, warm cocktail, fall drink, holiday drink, 3-ingredient cocktail, lightened-up cocktail