Happy Cocktail Friday! The first Friday of fall most definitely calls for this Harvest Apple Gin-ger big batch cocktail. I’ve tested this one out with my friends a few times already – first we tried it out with a whole slew of liquors like bourbon, rum, rye, and vodka (not all at the same time, obvi). But eventually we settled on GIN as the clear winner! Riddle me surprised. Something about the botanicals in gin really worked here, and I think the Rabbit Hole Distillery Bespoke Gin I used was an absolute perfect fit since it’s finished in rye whiskey barrels. That finishing process mellows out the gin and adds a little bit of sweetness that is just right for this cocktail.

Here are some goodies to help you make this cocktail at home. Note: these are Amazon Affiliate links.

Harvest Apple Gin-ger Recipe

4.68 from 25 votes

Big Batch Cocktails: Harvest Apple Gin-ger

Prep: 5

Cook: 10

Total: 15

Servings: 11 servings (~7 oz per serving)

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Servings: 11 servings (~7 oz per serving)

Ingredients

▢ 32 oz apple cider
▢ 18 oz Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Beer
▢ 15 oz Rabbit Hole Bespoke Gin, (see notes)
▢ 5 oz fresh lemon juice
▢ 4 oz thyme and cinnamon infused simple syrup, (recipe in notes)
▢ 1 small blood orange, sliced
▢ 4 cinnamon sticks, (plus more for simple syrup)
▢ 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme, for serving, (plus more for simple syrup)

Instructions

Add all ingredients except ginger beer and thyme to a tall pitcher. Refrigerate overnight to help develop the best flavor.
Just before serving, add ginger beer and stir well. Serve over ice, garnished with fresh thyme sprigs, cinnamon sticks, and apple and blood orange slices.

Tips & Tricks

Thyme and cinnamon infused simple syrup: Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water to a small pot. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add 2 cinnamon sticks and 2-3 thyme sprigs. Cover and steep for 10-15 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 7oz, Calories: 197kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 20g (7%), Sodium: 22mg (1%), Potassium: 49mg (1%), Sugar: 19g (21%)

For my macro trackers out there, I wasn’t able to create a My Fitness Pal barcode for this recipe since I would have had to decide for you whether to put the alcohol calories in as carbs or fats – that’s up to you! The 20 grams of carbs listed here are just for the carbs/sugar in the apple cider, simple syrup, lemon juice, and ginger beer. For my non-macro trackers, here’s more info on what I’m talking about.

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7 responses

melissa edwards

November 21, 2023

this is DELICIOUS! we’ve made it as written using gin, but also with mezcal and everyone loved it both ways. i’ll be making this one all fall/winter! thank you, thank you!

1. Erin
  
  November 22, 2023
  
  Thanks so much Melissa! I’m glad you loved it too 🙂
  
Mary Fern Anderson

November 22, 2023

It’s probably too late for me to get an answer, but maybe the answer will be useful in the future! This is going to be my Thanksgiving signature drink this year, but I’m a bit confused as to the addition of the ginger beer the night before. Won’t it go flat? Or, is the finished drink not supposed to be carbonated? I plan on making exactly as written. Thank you. Mary

1. Erin
  
  November 22, 2023
  
  Hi Mary, I’d recommend leaving the ginger beer until just before serving. I’m making it for tomorrow and that’s my plan!
  
  1. Mary A
    
    November 22, 2023
    
    Erin, thank you SO much! I figured that was the right thing, it’s not my first adult batch cocktail 😉 but I wanted to check. I can’t wait!
    
Janis

December 8, 2023

Dear Erin, thanks so much for your recipe, it sounds really delicious and I’m planning on making it for a christmas party with friends. I’ve got a question to avoid confusion: I’m from Europe and cider is known here as an alcoholic, carbonated beverage. Is it the same in your recipe, or is the one you’re using more juice-like? Thanks in advance! Janis

1. Erin
  
  December 9, 2023
  
  Hi Janis! The apple cider I’m referring to is non-alcoholic and does have carbonation, like this. It’s more like a juice, but has way more flavor and less sweetness than apple juice.