When the evenings draw in and the apples start piling up, we reach for a vodka cocktail that tastes of the season. The Spiced Orchard Sour mixes cloudy apple, fresh lemon and honey with a hint of cinnamon. It's quick to make, easy to tweak, and a good way to see what a smooth vodka adds to a drink.
Why vodka works in an autumn cocktail
Gin brings its botanicals with it. Vodka gives the other ingredients room. In this drink that means the apple and spice lead, and the vodka gives the drink its body and backbone without getting in the way.
We make it with WhataHoot Signature Vodka, hand-distilled from sugar beet here at our King Street distillery in King's Lynn. It's a full-strength 40% abv spirit and very smooth, so it suits a mixer, the rocks or a shaken cocktail like this one. A 70cl bottle is £37.
The Spiced Orchard Sour vodka cocktail recipe
You'll need (serves 1)
- 50ml WhataHoot Signature Vodka
- 75ml cloudy apple juice
- 20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 15ml honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water, stirred together and cooled)
- A small pinch of ground cinnamon
- Ice
Method
- Chill a rocks glass with ice, or pop it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Add the vodka, apple juice, lemon juice, honey syrup and cinnamon to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for about 15 seconds, until the outside feels very cold.
- Tip out the ice from your glass, add fresh ice, then strain the cocktail over it.
- Garnish with a thin fan of apple slices and a cinnamon stick.
Glass: rocks glass. Garnish: apple fan and a cinnamon stick.
Make it your own
This is where the tinkering starts. A few ideas to try:
- Longer and lighter: serve it in a highball over ice and top with ginger beer for a gentle autumn fizz.
- Swap the sweetener: maple syrup in place of honey gives a deeper, toffee-ish finish.
- Change the fruit: pear juice works just as well as apple and tastes a little softer.
- Swap the spirit: for a warmer, citrus-spiced version, use our Tawny Orange Spiced Rum in place of the vodka.
Taste as you go. If your apples are sharp, add a touch more honey; if your juice is sweet, add a dash more lemon.
Enjoy it properly
This is a drink to sip slowly by the fire or pour for friends over a long autumn supper. Make it with care, enjoy it responsibly, and keep plenty of soft drinks around too. Our cocktails are for adults aged 18 and over.
FAQ
Can I make this vodka cocktail without a shaker?
Yes. Stir everything well with ice in a jug or a large jar with a lid, then strain it into your glass.
Can I make a batch for a group?
Multiply the measures and mix the vodka, juices, honey syrup and cinnamon in a jug ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge, then shake or stir each serve with ice just before pouring.
What is WhataHoot Signature Vodka made from?
Sugar beet. It's hand-distilled at our King's Lynn distillery and bottled at 40% abv.
Spiced Orchard Sour
Serves 1 · Glass: Rocks glass · 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 50ml WhataHoot Signature Vodka
- 75ml cloudy apple juice
- 20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 15ml honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water)
- Small pinch of ground cinnamon
- Ice
Method
- Chill a rocks glass with ice or in the freezer.
- Add the vodka, apple juice, lemon juice, honey syrup and cinnamon to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for about 15 seconds.
- Tip out the ice in the glass, add fresh ice and strain the cocktail over it.
- Garnish with an apple fan and a cinnamon stick.
Garnish: Fan of thin apple slices and a cinnamon stick