Spiced Apple Cider Cocktail Recipe
As autumn settles in, there’s nothing quite as delicious and festive as this spiced apple cider cocktail. This delightful drink combines the rich flavors of spiced apple cider with the warmth of gin and fizz of tonic water, making it a perfect companion for cozy evenings or festive gatherings.
Why we love this fall cocktail
This spiced apple cider cocktail is not just a drink; it’s a taste of fall in a glass. With its blend of sweet apple and aromatic spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, it offers a symphony of flavors that perfectly captures the essence of the season.
It’s also incredibly easy to prepare and put together, especially if you want to make a larger batch in a pitcher.
Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or planning out your holiday menu, this cocktail is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Creating the Best Spiced Cider Cocktail
Crafting the perfect fall cocktail doesn’t have to be complicated. With this simple cider cocktail recipe, you can whip up this delicious drink in no time.
The key lies in finding a tasty spiced cider that you enjoy, one that creates a harmonious blend of fall spices. The two that I really love are 1) Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider and 2) RW Knudsen Cider & Spice Juice (at Whole Foods).
One of the best things about this spiced cider cocktail recipe is its ease of preparation. With just a few ingredients and minimal effort, you can treat yourself and your guests to a beverage that’s both comforting and sophisticated.
You’ll simply combine the cider with the alcohol (gin or vodka), fresh lemon juice, and then tonic water for an easy, peasy cocktail.
Fall Cocktail Garnishes
To really give this spiced apple cider cocktail recipe some true autumn flair, I recommend adding some seasonal-appropriate garnishes.
The most obvious garnish is an apple slice. Simply remove the core from your apple and cut thin slices of a fuji or gala apple.
Then, I personally like to add a small sprig of rosemary and a star anise. You could easily swap the rosemary with thyme, or the star anise with a mini cinnamon stick.
These are small details but they make all the difference in the presentation of the drink!
Fall Glassware for Your Cocktail
To serve your spiced apple cider cocktail, I recommend choosing a beautiful piece of glassware that will really make your cocktail shine.
You can go ultra French with a beautiful, crystal coupe glass, like this one:
Or, you can go ultra festive with fall-themed glassware. I love these adorable, pumpkin icon glasses from Pottery Barn:
Or, you can just keep things modern and classy with a stunning cocktail glass like this, which works year-round:
Spiced Apple Cider Cocktail Recipe
The perfect fall drink, this spiced cider cocktail is festive, delicious, and super easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup spiced cider
- 1/2 cup vodka or gin
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup tonic water
- ice
- fresh Rosemary sprigs, apple slices and star anise for garnishing
Instructions
- Add everything (except the garnishes) into a small pitcher and stir. Then pour the mixture into 2-3 glasses (depending on your glass size). Add ice to each glass.*
- Garnish each with an apple slice, half a sprig of Rosemary, and a star anise.
Notes
*If you're going to be adding this cocktail to a delicate coupe glass, you can always shake the cider, gin, and ice together in a cocktail shaker. Divide the cold mixture into the coupe glasses, then top each with the tonic water and garnishes.
