Apple Cider Whiskey Punch
Get the weekend started with Apple Cider Whiskey Punch! Grab your favorite whiskey or bourbon for a big batch cocktail that’s light & fruity!
Stop. Just stop. Put everything for this Apple Cider Whiskey punch on your shopping list now before you start reading. It’s so good I’m just telling you to plan on making it right now.
This whiskey punch recipe is light enough to enjoy all year long. It’s got a little kick, but the fruit juices and soda keep it refreshing. It’s perfect for serving a crowd or making a batch to sip all weekend long. It just takes one drink to make anyone a whiskey lover!
I don’t know what it is about apples, but they’re always been my favorite fruit. Sweet, crisp, and colorful – they’re just the best!
I wanted to change things up from our usual punch recipes and I knew anything apple-based would knock it out of the park. That’s how this Apple Cider Whiskey Punch came about. It’s super easy to make too!
No fancy ingredients. Just easy to find items you can get at any grocery store. So grab your pitcher and let’s mix up something delicious!
Whiskey Punch Ingredients
FRUIT – I like to throw some fresh fruit into this punch. The apples and lemons complement the juices being used and the oranges give a nice aromatic element. You don’t taste a lot of the orange, but you can smell it. Excellent in the fall if you’re garnishing with a cinnamon stick.
WHISKEY – You really have some options here. A standard blended whiskey is totally fine. I’ve also made this punch with bourbon and it was delicious. This time around I used Tullamore DEW cider cask finish. Tully is one of my favorite whiskeys and the cider cask is delicious! So feel free to try different options.
MIXERS – Apple cider is a gimme, but the ginger ale adds some fizz and complimentary flavor. The lemon juice brightens up the whole thing and balances out the sweetness of the cider. Simple ingredients mixed up just right.
It’s hard not to love this punch. The flavor combination is awesome!
While you can serve it up right away, it’ll taste so much better if you give it some time in the fridge. Shoot for at least 1 hour, but you can even leave it overnight if you want to be really ahead of things. It’ll keep for 2 days in the fridge.
If you want to make this a non-alcoholic punch, you can omit the whiskey from this punch and it’ll still taste delicious! Add another 1/2 cup of cider, 1/2 cup of ginger ale, and bump the lemon juice to 1/3 cup total. Boom.
How to Make Whiskey Apple Cider Punch
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Core the apple and cut it into small chunks. Cut orange and lemon into thin slices to create wheels. Discard the ends. Put the fruit into the bottom of a 2.5-quart pitcher.
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Pour the apple cider, ginger ale, whiskey, and lemon juice into your pitcher. If you’re omitting the whiskey, add the extra mixer amounts. Use a bar spoon or long wooden spoon to stir everything together.
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Refrigerate the punch for at least 1 hour to let the flavors marry together.
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Pour the punch into glasses. Spoon some apples and a fruit slice into the glass too. You can even add a cinnamon stick for garnish if you like.
So freaking easy people!
How do you serve apple cider?
A lot of people serve apple cider warm around the holidays. It’s a comforting drink that helps shuffle off the cold. You can add some cloves, cinnamon sticks, or orange peel (AKA mulling spices) to your cider while warming it up to make mulled cider.
Is cold apple cider good?
I think so and my family does too. My youngest actually prefers apple cider to apple juice. I’m inclined to agree with him.
What’s the difference between apple juice and apple cider?
Apple cider and apple juice start the same way. Apples are washed, cut, and ground into an “apple mash”. Then the juices are pressed. This is apple cider.
For apple juice, the pressed juices are then filtered to remove the pulp and pasteurized to extend shelf life.
If you can’t find cloudy apple cider or apple juice is on sale, you can absolutely substitute apple juice for this recipe. No one will judge you. I’m all about keeping it easy.
My favorite time of year to serve this punch is over the holidays to pair with all those baked goods and spiced dishes. But you can really serve this punch up any time of the year.
If you feel like the cinnamon sticks are a little too seasonal, take them out and keep sliced apples and oranges in the pitcher. No one will be the wiser!
We think this apple cider punch is perfect for the 4th of July. I double the recipe and serve it up in a big punch bowl.
Make this punch, take a sip, and get hooked!
More tasty apple recipes!
- Apple Spice Cake
- Apple Cider Sangria
- Apple Pecan Bread Pudding
- Cranberry Apple Fizz
- Apple Pie Oreo Truffles
Yummy cocktails for a crowd!
Apple Cider Whiskey Punch
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 gala apple
- 1 orange
- 1 lemon
- 2 cups apple cider (the cloudy kind)
- 2 cups ginger ale
- 1 cup whiskey or bourbon
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Core apple and cut into small chunks. Cut orange and lemon into thin slices to create wheels, and discard ends. Put fruit into a 2.5-quart pitcher.
- Pour apple cider, ginger ale, whiskey, and lemon juice into the pitcher. Use a bar spoon or long wooden spoon to stir everything together.
- Refrigerate the punch for at least 1 hour to let the flavors marry together.
- Pour punch into glasses and spoon some apples and a fruit slice into each glass. During the fall and winter months, I add a cinnamon stick for garnish too.
Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Hello all!
Quick correction – all bourbon is whiskey, so perhaps what this recipe is specifying is that you can use non-American or non-corn whiskey and instead go with something with apple notes like an Irish Whiskey.
It can get a little confusing but imagine saying “1 cup juice or orange juice” would be mysterious because you wouldn’t know what the recipe was actually requiring.
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Blair. You’re 100% right, all bourbon is whiskey. I was hoping I would come across saying that you can use pretty much any whiskey – American, Canadian, Irish, etc. Whiskey with apple notes is great to use too – the Tullamore DEW I used or Crown Royal apple are good options. Sorry for any confusion.