In case you didn’t know,
September is National Bourbon Heritage Month!

And, unlike a lot of other food and beverage “holidays” that we see (ice cream day, doughnut day, etc)…this one is real, being celebrated by the industry far and wide. The whole month is dedicated to honoring the craft of bourbon, and the industry as a whole. By an act of Congress in 2007, September was declared National Bourbon Heritage Month, and so imbibers all over the country find ways to celebrate, educate, and drink — of course!

This week, I teamed up with one of my favorite bourbon brands on the market, Four Roses Bourbon, to create a cocktail that showcases the best flavors of this extraordinary spirit. I also used a few of my favorite local ingredients from Bitters Lab and Mountain West Cider.

This cocktail is spirit forward, and the perfect flavor combination to say goodbye to summer and welcome autumn.

Heartbeat Nosh’s
Bourbon Harvest Cider

Bourbon Harvest Cider
Featuring Four Roses Bourbon

2 oz Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon
1.5 oz Strawberry Basil Simple Syrup
1.5 oz Cynar
2 oz Mountain West Ruby Cider
3 Hard Dashes Bitters Lab Charred Cedar and Currant Bitters
Garnish with Fresh Strawberry & Basil Leaf

Combine Four Roses Bourbon, Strawberry Basil Simple Syrup, Cynar and Bitters into a shaker.
Shake vigorously with ice. Pour into a rocks glass over ice, and top with Mountain West Ruby Cider.
Garnish with Strawberry and Basil.

Basil Simple Syrup: combine equal parts sugar and water over high heat. Add fresh, chopped strawberries (about 4 or 5) and 3-4 large basil leaves. Stir over heat until sugar and water combine. Strain into a jar and discard the basil. Take the cooked strawberry pieces and mash through the strainer to get the juice without the seeds. Add the rest of the smashed strawberry juice to the jar. Let cool for about an hour in the fridge before using in the cocktail. Syrup will keep in the fridge up to 2 weeks.

Strawberry Basil Simple Syrup

The Yellow Label Bourbon works super well with an aromatic/fruity simple syrup. Four Roses Yellow Label is one of the best bourbons for cocktails because of its flavor profile, which has hints pear and apple – and aromas that are floral and mix together honey and spice. The bourbon itself really blends fruit and herb — which is exactly what the simple syrup does. Because of this, it truly enhances the natural flavors in the bourbon, as long as you don’t overpower your syrup with too much basil or strawberry. Think subtle!

The Cynar also does a really great job of bringing in a bitter component that balances the sweetness in the cocktail, so the cocktail remains bourbon centered, and not sweet.

The Charred Cedar and Current biters also brings in a smoky aspect, pulling out the soft finish of the bourbon.

Then, the topper of Mountain West brings it all together with a dry, sparkling ending.

The Heritage Bourbon Cider cocktail really is the perfect cocktail to taste the ending of summer and toast to the autumn harvest.

Make sure to check out Four Roses on Instagram and if you are
participating in #BourbonHeritageMonth, use the hashtag and join the conversation!

See more cocktail recipes from Heartbeat Nosh
#HBNHomebar \\ @HeartbeatNosh

**This post was in partnership with Four Roses Bourbon and The Baddish Group