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    Home » Recipes » Drink Recipes

    Published: Sep 25, 2024 · Modified: Oct 13, 2024 by AshleyFreeman ·

    Autumn Bourbon Rickey Cocktail with Maple Syrup

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    You're going to love this bourbon rickey recipe with a fall twist! A simple mix of bourbon, lime juice, soda water, and maple syrup creates the perfect golden-hued cocktail. A gorgeous garnish of sliced apple and lime wheel makes it a great drink for autumn gatherings.

    Two glasses of Autumn Bourbon Rickey garnished with lime and apple slices in front of a wooden tray with a bottle of bourbon, ice bucket, extra glass, and glass bowl of extra garnishes.

    I love the tart, refreshing flavor of this cocktail and that it's not too sweet. This is one of those drinks you can enjoy year-round on a hot summer day or in cooler weather, which is why I like to add the apple and maple to celebrate autumn flavors. It's also really simple to make--only about 5 minutes from start to finish. Give it a try; I bet you'll love it too!

    After you try this bourbon drink, you may want to check out some other drink recipes. I happen to have several! If bourbon's your jam, you'll love my black tea bourbon hot toddy. If you're looking for a gin drink, check out my Halloween gin cocktail. For a vodka option, my prickly pear Moscow mule is delicious. And for the tequila drinkers, my spicy grapefruit ranch water is so good. Now let's get to why you're here: let's make the bourbon rickey!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Tasty Tip
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Related
    • Pairing:
    • 🍽Get the recipe
    • Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
    • Food safety

    Ingredients

    Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

    Ingredients for Autumn Bourbon Rickey Cocktail with Maple Syrup.
    • bourbon
    • fresh lime juice
    • maple syrup
    • club soda
    • lime wheel or lime wedge for garnish
    • apple slices for garnish

    (See recipe card for quantities.)

    Instructions

    Now that we've got our ingredients, let's make this cocktail!

    Stirring together the bourbon, lime juice, and maple syrup in a rocks glass with those ingredients off to the side.
    1. First, combine the bourbon, lime juice, and maple syrup in an ice-filled rocks glass (or highball glass if you prefer).
    Pouring club soda into the glass.
    1. Then, top with club soda and garnish as desired.

    Hint: To prevent the lime and apple slices from floating to the top, combine them with the ice in the glass before adding the liquid and they should stay put.

    Substitutions

    Here some ideas for ingredient substitutions if you need them:

    • Bourbon - If you're out of bourbon or want to try something different make the gin version (aka the gin rickey) instead. Or make a vodka rickey.
    • Lime juice - Use lemon juice instead of lime juice.
    • Club soda - Instead of club soda, you can use sparkling mineral water like Topo Chico or seltzer water.
    • Maple syrup - Try simple syrup or agave nectar instead of maple syrup.

    Variations

    Want to change things up? Try these recipe variations:

    • Spicy - Muddle some jalapeño with the lime juice and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker and strain into the ice-filled glass before adding the bourbon.
    • Cinnamon Simple Syrup - Make some simple syrup to use instead of maple syrup. Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan along with a cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let stand until cooled. Remove the cinnamon stick before using.

    Equipment

    Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:

    • liquid measuring cup
    • measuring spoons
    • paring knife

    Storage

    Store the drink mixture separate from the club soda in the refrigerator for 2 days.

    Tasty Tip

    Make a big batch cocktail if you're serving a crowd. Mix several servings' worth of the bourbon, lime juice, and maple syrup in a pitcher. When you're ready to serve, pour into ice-filled glasses and top with carbonated water right before serving.

    Frequently asked questions

    What makes a drink a rickey?

    A lime rickey has bourbon or gin, lime juice and carbonated water.

    Where did the bourbon rickey come from?

    The first bourbon rickey was made in the late 1800s at Shoomaker's Bar in Washington, D.C. The bartender George Williamson, created the cocktail for Colonel Joe Rickey, a Democratic lobbyist and frequent customer of the local pub.

    What's the difference between bourbon and whiskey?

    Bourbon is a type of whiskey, but to be called bourbon, there are several requirements: the mash must contain at least 51% corn, it must be distilled at 160 proof or less, and it must be store in charred new oak barrels at 125 proof or less. There cannot be any additives as well.

    How do you pick a good bottle of bourbon?

    I recommend going to a liquor store that will allow you to try samples, but if that's not an option, there are a few things to note when you're choosing bourbon. First look at the label and see where the bourbon is made. Look at the color, and look at the age. Bourbons that are aged for longer have more complex flavor because they absorb more of the flavors of the barrel.

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • Clear glasses filled with Prickly Pear Moscow Mule and garnished with a lime wheel and fuchsia edible flowers with one glass in the front and three in the back on a wicker tray lined with a white linen napkin.
      Prickly Pear Cactus Moscow Mule (Vodka Cocktail)
    • Two tall clear glasses of Grapefruit Ranch Water with a green glass straw in the front glass.
      Spicy Grapefruit Ranch Water (Tequila Cocktail)
    • Two glass mugs of Bourbon Black Tea Hot Toddy on a wooden board.
      The Best Spiced Bourbon Black Tea Hot Toddy Recipe
    • Two Purple People Eaters (spooky Halloween gin cocktail) on a wicker tray.
      Purple People Eater (a Spooky Halloween Gin Cocktail)

    Pairing:

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Autumn Bourbon Rickey Cocktail:

    • Brown handled skillet filled with baked apple dumplings and a wooden handled silver serving spoon with a red striped cloth and small pie plates of individual servings with vanilla ice cream surrounding.
      The Easiest Baked Cinnamon Apple Dumplings Recipe
    • Dark wooden board with a pulled chicken sandwich topped with Alabama White BBQ Sauce and a jar of the sauce off to the side along with a bowl of chicken and pickles.
      How to Make the Best Alabama White BBQ Sauce
    • Pink rimmed plate of praline cookies along with cooling rack and mint green cups of coffee.
      Pecan Praline Cookies (1986 Chicago Tribune Contest Winner)
    • Three bowls of Trader Joe's Holiday Vegetable Hash and Sausage Stew in white bowls.
      Trader Joe's Holiday Vegetable Hash and Sausage Stew

    🍽Get the recipe

    Two glasses of Autumn Bourbon Rickey garnished with lime and apple slices in front of a wooden tray with a bottle of bourbon, ice bucket, extra glass, and glass bowl of extra garnishes.

    Autumn Bourbon Rickey Cocktail with Maple Syrup

    Enjoy this fall twist on the traditional Bourbon Rickey, a bourbon cocktail with lime juice and club soda. I add hint of sweetness with maple syrup and garnish with an apple slice to celebrate the season. It's an easy drink everyone will love!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1

    Equipment

    • liquid measuring cup
    • measuring spoons
    • paring knife

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup bourbon
    • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • Club soda
    • Lime wheels and apple slices for garnish

    Instructions

    • Combine the bourbon, lime juice, and maple syrup in an ice-filled rocks glass.
    • Top with club soda and garnish.

    Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

    When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

    • Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
    • When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
    • I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
    • When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

    Food safety

    Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.

    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    More Drink Recipes

    • Red tray topped with a Strawberry Rum Rita, bowl of strawberries and limes and cocktail picks with a pitcher of extra margaritas and a red checked cloth to the side.
      Delicious Strawberry Rum Rita (Rum Margarita)
    • Three fluted rocks glasses filled with frozen mango and coconut margaritas topped with lime wedges and edible flowers on a blue tile surface with wooden coasters and a white linen.
      The Best Frozen Mango and Creamy Coconut Margaritas
    • Two Key Lime Pie Margaritas in salt and lime zest rimmed margarita glasses with a metal dish filled with more margarita salt and slices of key limes.
      Key Lime Pie Margaritas (The Perfect Summer Drink)
    • Two glasses of New Orleans Hurricanes (Bourbon Street Cocktails) with a garnish of an orange slice, lime slice, and maraschino cherry in the front glass and wooden board with bowl of garnishes in the back along with a cocktail strainer and glass pitcher.
      New Orleans Hurricane (a Bourbon Street Cocktail)

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Swathi says

      October 12, 2024 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      You caught me with bourbon. This rickey cocktail is so refreshing and I enjoyed it.

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        October 13, 2024 at 7:52 am

        Awesome! I love a bourbon cocktail too!

        Reply
    2. Dee says

      October 07, 2024 at 6:23 am

      5 stars
      Made these yesterday for brunch. Had never had a Rickey before. So yumm!

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        October 07, 2024 at 10:38 am

        Thanks for giving the recipe a try Dee!

        Reply
    3. Matt says

      October 05, 2024 at 4:37 pm

      This is perfect for fall! The warm bourbon notes with the fresh lime made it so refreshing yet cozy.

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        October 07, 2024 at 10:38 am

        You're so right Matt! Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Oscar says

      October 05, 2024 at 4:18 pm

      5 stars
      This bourbon rickey recipe quickly became my new favorite drink! The golden hue and the sliced apple and lime wheel garnish made it not only tasty but also visually stunning for my seasonal celebrations.

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        October 07, 2024 at 10:37 am

        Wow! Thanks so much! It really is a great drink for the fall!

        Reply
    5. Liz says

      October 05, 2024 at 12:54 pm

      This is such a delicious, well-balanced cocktail. It's perfect for autumn!

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        October 07, 2024 at 10:36 am

        Thanks Liz! I agree!

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes

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    Photo of Ashley Strickland Freeman in a kitchen.

    Hi, I'm Ashley, "your best friend in the kitchen." I'm a food stylist, culinary producer, editor, travel junkie, and author of The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook from Charleston, SC. Thanks for stopping by Little Black Skillet!

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