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Cocktail History
The Spiced Maple Bourbon Fizz is a modern cocktail that was created in 2021 by Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest. Originally meant to be a batch cocktail, our single-serving version mixes spiced whiskey with citrus and a unique maple syrup flavored with baking spices, and it tops it all off with sparkling wine.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Sparkling Wine: This is a carbonated wine made with white or red grapes. We used La Marca Prosecco because it has a crisp and refreshing taste with floral notes. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine.
Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, grains, malted barley, and water. We used Eagle Park Distilling Bourbon because it has a smooth flavor despite its high-rye mashbill. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey.
Spiced Maple Syrup: This is a syrup made with the sap from maple trees and baking spices. We made ours at home using Alex’s recipe.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Orange Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters.
Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. We used cinnamon sticks from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Star Anise: This is the seed pod from the fruit of the Illicium verum plant. We used star anise from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Spiced Maple Bourbon Fizz has aromas of baking spices and sweet citrus, a taste that blends the sharpness of bubbly wine followed by the soft coziness of maple, bourbon, and spices, and a finish that brings bourbon’s barrel-aged sweetness a bit further forward.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Going in, we actually thought that the deep fall flavors wouldn’t mingle well with the sparkling wine’s airy grape flavor, but we were wrong. The whole mix of the Spiced Maple Bourbon Fizz blends seamlessly, and it makes for a drink that is right at home at any gathering, just as long as the thermometer is on a downward trend.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This simple autumnal take on a Whiskey Sour is quite tasty, just as expected. The spiced maple syrup is the star of the show, as it was in the other drink we used it in called the Spiced Maple Manhattan, and it helps to elevate the coziness that the bourbon brings to the mix. The wine, meanwhile, adds a bit of a sharpness that lightens the cozy flavors while also giving the drink a noticeable tang.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I can never pinpoint what a cocktail topped with sparkling wine is going to taste like. I half expected this one to mostly taste like a fall-flavored wine drink, but I was pleasantly surprised at how complex it ended up being. The bourbon and maple shine on their own right alongside the bubbly, resulting in a really refreshing but seasonal recipe. I really liked it and could see myself making it for friends.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Half Baked Harvest, an online food and beverage recipe publication.
Add bourbon, spiced maple syrup, lemon juice, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with orange twist, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
Ingredients
Directions
Add bourbon, spiced maple syrup, lemon juice, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with orange twist, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine, Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey, and All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Whiskey Cocktails
If you like this whiskey-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Pumpkin Spiked Horchata: A bourbon cocktail made with horchata, coffee liqueur, pumpkin spice syrup, cardamom and caramelized raisin bitters, a cinnamon stick, and pumpkin pie spice
Falling Leaves: A rye cocktail made with Amaro Montenegro, toasted fig syrup, chocolate bitters, and an orange slice
Boo Radley: A bourbon cocktail made with Cynar, cherry liqueur, a lemon peel, and an orange peel
Brown Derby: A bourbon cocktail made with grapefruit juice, honey, and a grapefruit twist
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