Old Fashioned with Apples and Autumn Honey

I created this version of the Old Fashioned one October evening, inspired by the apples from my orchard and a jar of chestnut honey brought back from the Cévennes. The idea came to me when I saw these beautiful apples starting to wrinkle: rather than letting them go to waste, why not transform them into syrup to enhance my favorite whisky?

This cocktail blends the strength of bourbon with the fruity sweetness of apples and the woody notes of chestnut honey. Cinnamon adds a spicy warmth that's perfect for chilly evenings. It's become my autumn ritual: making this syrup on Sunday for the whole week.

You can adjust the proportions to your liking: more syrup for a sweeter cocktail, less to let the whisky shine. The syrup will keep for a week in the fridge, perfect for a spontaneous aperitif with friends.

This recipe works with any American whiskey, but I prefer a robust bourbon that stands up to the autumnal flavors. A moment of pure pleasure to enjoy by the fireside.

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Old Fashioned with Apples and Autumn Honey

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: aperitifKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: easy

Cocktails

2

cocktails

Preparation time

8

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

185

kcal

Total time

30

minutes

A reimagined whisky cocktail recipe with autumnal flavors: caramelized apples, chestnut honey, and a hint of cinnamon. The perfect blend of tradition and modernity for your autumn aperitifs.

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Ingredients

• 12 cl of bourbon whisky

• 2 medium apples

• 3 tablespoons of chestnut honey

• 1 pinch of ground cinnamon

• 4 cl of water

• 2 Angostura bitters

• ice

• 2 apple slices for decoration

• 2 cinnamon sticks for decoration

Preparation steps

• Peel the apples and cut them into small cubes. Cook them in a saucepan with 2cl of water for 10 minutes until they are tender.
• Add the honey and ground cinnamon. Mix and cook for 3 more minutes. Roughly mash with a fork.
• Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing the pulp well. Add the remaining 2 cl of water to the resulting syrup. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
• In a whisky glass, pour 2 tablespoons of apple-honey syrup and 1 dash of Angostura per glass.
• Add 6cl of whisky to each glass and stir gently with a cocktail spoon.
• Add 2-3 large ice cubes per glass. Stir for a few more seconds to chill thoroughly.
• Garnish with a thin slice of apple and a cinnamon stick. Serve immediately.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 cocktail (approx. 120ml)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

Drink responsibly. This cocktail has an alcohol content of approximately 25%. Leftover syrup is delicious on pancakes or in plain yogurt.

💡 Chef's Tips

The syrup will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed jar. You can prepare it in advance. For an alcohol-free version, replace the whisky with sparkling apple juice.

🔄 Variations

• Spicy version: add a touch of freshly grated ginger to the syrup
• Smoky version: use a peaty Scotch whisky instead of bourbon

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.