Ingredients
- 1 oz Spiced Rum
- 1 Glass(s) Apple Soda
Instructions
Combine Ingredients:
- In a tall glass, pour 1 oz of spiced rum and fill the rest of the glass with apple soda.
Stir and Serve:
- Stir the mixture gently to combine the flavors.
Garnish:
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick for a touch of warmth and spice.
Serve:
- Serve immediately and enjoy the simple, cozy flavors of the Broken Leg!
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
No one's quite sure who named this one or where it first popped up, but it feels like a drink born out of a casual bar or a house party. It's too simple to have a grand origin story, likely thrown together by someone who just needed a quick, tasty pour with what was on hand.
Think of it as the friendly cousin to a Rum and Coke, but with a fruitier, spiced twist. It slots into the highball family, those easy, long drinks designed for session sipping. What separates it is that specific combo of apple and spice, moving away from the usual cola or citrus mixers.
You wouldn't find this on a fancy cocktail menu, and that's exactly the point. This is the kind of drink you mix up at home on a chilly evening, or something you ask for at a low-key pub when you just want a reliable, unpretentious sipper.
What it tastes like
Your first sip is all about that spiced rum warmth meeting crisp, sweet apple. The cinnamon, vanilla, and clove notes from the rum blend seamlessly with the bright, slightly tart sweetness of the apple soda. It's a comforting flavor, like a liquid apple pie without being heavy. The carbonation keeps it light and refreshing, cutting through the sweetness.
With just one ounce of standard 80-proof spiced rum in a tall glass, filled with soda, this drink lands around 3 to 4 percent ABV. That puts it squarely in the territory of a light beer. You can have a couple without needing to call it a night, making it a good choice for longer sessions.
The technique
Building a Broken Leg is as straightforward as it gets. Grab a tall glass, pour in your spiced rum, then top it off with cold apple soda. A gentle stir is all it needs to bring those flavors together. No shaking, no fancy ice, just a simple build-in-glass job ready for immediate consumption.
The only real technique tip here is to make sure your apple soda is properly chilled. Warm soda kills the fizz and dulls the flavors, making for a flat, sad drink. Keep it cold, and you're golden.
Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
Spiced Rum
- Use
- Kraken, Sailor Jerry, Captain Morgan. Any decent, mid-range spiced rum will do the job here.
- Skip
- White rum or unspiced dark rum. You'd lose the crucial spice profile this drink relies on.
- Why
- It's the backbone of the drink, providing the warmth, complexity, and specific flavor that makes it a Broken Leg.
Apple Soda
- Use
- A good quality sparkling apple juice or a dedicated apple soda. Something with actual apple flavor and good fizz.
- Skip
- Flat apple juice or hard apple cider. You need the carbonation and the non-alcoholic sweetness.
- Why
- Provides the sweetness, the apple notes, and the essential fizz that makes it a refreshing highball.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink.
Cinnamon Kick
- A little extra spice never hurt anyone.
- Add a small splash of cinnamon syrup or a few dashes of cinnamon bitters to the mix before stirring.
Ginger Snap
- Swapping apple for a spicy kick.
- Trade the apple soda for a good ginger ale or ginger beer. The ginger heat plays well with the spiced rum.
Dark Orchard
- Deeper, richer apple notes.
- Use an aged dark rum instead of spiced rum, then add a dash of allspice dram for a similar warmth with more depth.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Use dark rum and add a pinch of ground cinnamon or a dash of allspice.
Sparkling apple juice works just fine. If you only have flat apple juice, add a splash of club soda for fizz.
Any glass you have will work, just adjust your proportions to fit.
A thin apple slice or even a lemon twist will give it a visual pop. Or skip it entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Broken Leg?
It's a simple mix of spiced rum and apple soda, often garnished with a cinnamon stick.
Is it a strong drink?
No, it's on the lighter side, comparable to a light beer in alcohol content.
Can I use plain rum?
You can, but you'll lose the specific spice notes. Consider adding a dash of cinnamon or a spiced syrup.
What's the best apple soda?
Use one you enjoy drinking on its own. A good quality, bubbly apple soda makes a difference.
Is it served hot or cold?
This drink is always served cold, over ice, to keep it refreshing.
What's a good garnish?
A cinnamon stick is traditional, but an apple slice or a lemon twist also works.
Is it sweet?
Yes, it's definitely a sweeter, fruit-forward drink due to the apple soda.
Can I make a big batch?
Absolutely. Just scale up the spiced rum and apple soda proportionally in a pitcher for easy serving.
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