A sweet twist on the traditional whiskey sour, this Orange Maple Bourbon Sour recipe uses orange-infused maple syrup for a tangy kick.
The whiskey sour is one of my favorite drinks. And I love that there are virtually unlimited variations of this cocktail. I always have Bourbon and lemons in the house, so I play a little game with myself called “what can I add to this drink?”
I was out of simple syrup the night I made this cocktail. Simple syrup is easy enough to make, but I’ve also seen lots of recipes that use something other than plain sugar. Honey and maple syrup are two that are common.
For this whiskey sour, I wanted to try maple syrup in place of simple syrup. But I didn’t want a super maple-y taste. I needed another option. I went foraging in my fridge and came up with an orange. Orange maple sounded just perfect. And not too crazy for my first attempt at infusing maple syrup.
How to infuse maple syrup
The first time I made this orange-infused maple simple syrup, I sliced up an orange and threw it right in the pot of syrup. It was ok, but it lacked a real orange punch of flavor.
I’ve since learned that it’s the zest and the juice that you really need to give your citrus simple syrups that WOW flavor. To create this particular syrup, add one cup of PURE maple syrup (do not use the imitation stuff) in a saucepan with the zest of one orange. Be careful to only zest the very top layer of the orange because the white pith underneath is bitter!
Simmer (do not boil!) over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, stir in the juice of half the orange, then let the syrup cool for at least 10 minutes.
When cooled, strain the syrup into a mason jar or other glass container for storage. You can keep that infused maple syrup in your fridge for months.
There are a lot of other options for infused maple syrup. It’s excellent on French Toast. And while I was looking for more ways to use it, I came across this recipe for Sweet Corn Fritters with Bourbon-Maple Syrup. Mmm… I love corn fritters and these would be perfect with my cocktail.
Making the Bourbon Sour cocktail
To prepare the cocktail, fill your shaker with ice. Pour in two ounces of Bourbon, one ounce of lemon juice, and one ounce of your orange maple syrup. Shake well. Pour into a glass with ice and garnish with an orange wedge.
I love the taste of this mixed drink. The maple and orange flavors are there, but not overpowering. You’ll find yourself tasting the orange a few seconds after you’ve taken a sip.
I’m excited to try new flavor infusions with more fruits and spices! Naomi just made a ginger-infused syrup for her Grapefruit Ginger Bourbon Sour! Yummy.
I hope you enjoy this Orange Maple Bourbon Sour recipe – a tangy twist on the whiskey sour!
Also check out this Strawberry Mint Bourbon Smash from my friend Brianna at the Casual Foodist!
Orange Maple Bourbon Sour
A sweet twist on the traditional whiskey sour, this cocktail uses orange-infused maple syrup for a tangy kick.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon (or your favorite whiskey)
- 1 oz Lemon juice
- 1 cup Pure maple syrup
- Zest of one orange
- Juice of 1/2 orange
- Ice
Instructions
- Pour your maple syrup into a saucepan and add the orange zest.
- Simmer (do not boil!) over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in orange juice.
- Let the syrup cool for 10 minutes.
- Strain the syrup into a mason jar or other glass container for storage.
- To prepare the cocktail, fill your shaker with ice.
- Add the bourbon, lemon juice and one ounce of the syrup and shake well.
- Pour into a glass with ice and garnish with an orange wedge.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 277Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Nutritional information is estimated and should only be used as a general guideline.
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