Ingredients
- 2½ ounces apple whiskey
- 1 ounce apple cider
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Apple slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, apple whiskey, and apple cider.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Garnish with apple slice.
Variations That Are Still the Apple Bomb
The apple bomb has many variations, none less delicious than the last. Here are a few ways to get there.
- Instead of storebought apple whiskey, easily infuse your own whiskey, rye, or bourbon with apples-layer on additional flavors by including cinnamon or fresh ginger as well.
- Replace the whiskey with an equal amount of applejack brandy or apple pie vodka.
- If ginger beer is a bit too spicy or overwhelming for use, consider topping off with club soda instead or using equal parts club soda and ginger beer.
- Swap the apple cider for apple juice to balance out the spiced flavors of the cocktail.
- Include a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice to add some citrus flavors.
- Swap your bourbon for an apple-infused spiced rum.
Garnishes
From different types of apples to modern and traditional garnishes, any of these options will make your apple bomb complete.
- Use a lemon or orange peel, ribbon, or twist for a soft citrus touch.
- Dehydrated garnishes create a fun and unique look for any cocktail. You can use a dehydrated citrus wheel or a dehydrated apple slice.
- Pierce several pieces of candied ginger on a cocktail skewer. You can also add apple slices or a dehydrated garnish.
- Peel an apple, rolling the peel up and piercing with a cocktail skewer or creating a wave as you skewer it.
- Combine a red apple slice with a green apple slice, or use their different peels together.
About the Apple Bomb
Whiskey and apple are a tale as old as time, and the apple bomb simply pairs those flavors together in a new way. However, a quick search will yield several different versions of this cocktail, all with the same name. If you're searching for a whiskey apple shot more along the lines of a Washington Apple martini, you can craft a Washington Apple bomb with a handful of changes that'll alter the cocktail entirely. With approximately three-quarters of an ounce of apple whiskey and apple liqueur in a shot glass, fill a pint glass halfway with an energy drink such as Red Bull and add a splash of tart cranberry juice. To enjoy, drop the shot glass into the pint glass and chug. Does the process seem familiar? It's a traditional bomb drink, much like an Irish Slammer or Jäger Bomb. Swap the whiskey for butterscotch liqueur for a caramel flavor and skip the cranberry juice altogether.
Nonetheless, the apple bomb is much closer to a doctored old-fashioned, with the apple cider standing in for the simple syrup and ginger beer, echoing the sharp notes you find in bitters.
An Apple Cocktail That Will Blow You Away
This easy three-ingredient cocktail is a game-changer for any time of the year, but it really shines in the fall when you bring home a jug of freshly pressed apple cider. So when the rest of your party is serving up a dark and stormy or you need something that isn't a Moscow mule, put the can of ginger beer to use in this apple bomb cocktail.
