With fall upon us, it's the perfect time to try these Apple Cider Martinis! Made with warming spices and floral, herbal gin, this apple cider martini recipe is complex in terms of flavor, but so simple and easy to make!
Happy hour just got a little more festive! This distinctly autumn-inspired spin on a classic cocktail is perfect for sipping alongside a fall charcuterie board or caramel apple bar!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This apple cider martini recipe is quick & easy to make!
- Have you seen cocktail prices these days? $17 for one drink!? I think not! Save your money and make it at home!
- This is a festive take on a classic, which is so much more fun than your basic martini.
- Apple cider martinis are sophisticated in terms of flavor, but so easy to make!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Apple cider: You want an unfiltered apple cider! Filtered apple cider is more or less the same as apple juice. Bonus points if you can find a local cider!
- Gin: I like to use gin because it offers a herbal flavor that compliments the sweetness of the cider. You can also use apple brandy or vodka if you prefer (plus, it can be fun to play around with different vodka flavors.)
- St. Germaine: A classic martini is made with vermouth, which adds a floral, citrusy flavor that balances the strong alcoholic taste of the gin or vodka. I don't typically have vermouth on hand, but I always have this elderflower liqueur, which accomplishes the same thing and adds an extra layer of sweetness. Butterscotch schnapps would be another good option!
- Lemon juice: I used bottled lemon juice, but fresh lemon juice is even better! You could also use freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Angostura bitters: Adds spiced flavor and contributes to the complexity of the drink. You can also use other spiced bitters.
- Maple syrup and/or caramel sauce: These will offer a bit more sweetness to the drink. You can use one or both, or simply add a bit of sugar instead. Feel free to omit them if you want a less sweet drink.
- Cinnamon: I would stick to finely ground cinnamon powder so as not to compromise the texture of the drink. If you want to minimize the amount of sediment you can opt for a cinnamon syrup instead!
- Sugar (optional): I like to finish off these martinis with a cinnamon sugar rim, but this is optional. You can use white granulated or brown sugar.
🔪 Helpful Tools
- Cocktail shaker
- Muddler
- Jigger
- Fine mesh strainer
- Hawthorne strainer
- 2-4 martini glasses
- Cocktail picks
🍸 How To Make Apple Cider Martinis
Step 1: Mix cinnamon and sugar together on a plate. Drizzle the edge of a coupe glass with caramel syrup, allowing it to drizzle into the center of the glass. Roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture until the edge is evenly coated.
Pro Tip: For the best results, chill martini glasses for 15 minutes in the freezer before preparing your apple cider martini!
Step 2: Begin by adding two 3-inch sprigs of thyme to your shaker. Carefully muddle them until leaves are crushed (but not pulverized), releasing their fragrant oils.
Step 3: Add apple cider, gin, St. Germain, lemon juice, maple syrup, angostura bitters, cinnamon, and ice to shaker. Shake thoroughly before double straining to remove thyme leaves as you pour into coupe glass. Garnish & serve!
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Pro Tip: "Double straining" refers to straining a cocktail through both a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer. The Hawthorne strainer sits atop the shaker to catch the larger ingredients (such as ice cubes) while the fine mesh strainer filters out the smaller ingredients, such as the thyme leaves.
🌿 Garnish Suggestions
If you plan on serving these apple cider martinis to guests, make sure to finish them off with a stunning presentation! Here are some simple garnishes that will add a touch of sophistication:
- Fresh apple slices
- Dehydrated apple chips
- Fresh sprig of rosemary or thyme
- Cinnamon stick
- Star anise
- Dehydrated oranges
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
An apple martini, or "appletini" for short, is typically made with apple cider and vodka (or gin).
Apple brandy is an excellent substitute for apple schnapps, but you can also use apple cider, sherry, or even apple juice.
It all depends on how it's prepared, as there is no standard recipe for an appletini. However, most martinis are made with either vodka or gin, plus additional liqueurs such as vermouth. In general, you can assume an average appletini has an ABV of somewhere between 20%-30%, making it a relatively strong drink.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- If cinnamon and sugar isn't sticking to the rim, you may want to pour some caramel onto the plate, dipping the outer edge of the rim to coat it before dipping back into the sugar and cinnamon.
- If your muddler has grooves that seem to trap the thyme leaves (preventing them from being muddled properly), you might have more luck using the smooth end. Don't have a muddler? You can also use the back of a spoon!
- Check out Mixed Drinks 101: How To Shake A Cocktail if you need some pointers on the proper technique!
- Want it sparkling? Top it off with a splash of club soda, champagne, ginger beer, or Martinelli's sparkling cider!
- This recipe yields enough for 4 small coupe glasses or 2 large ones.
🍎 Related Recipes
If you enjoy this apple cider martini recipe, check out these other cocktails!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Spiced Apple Cider Martinis
Equipment
- 1 muddler
- 4 6-ounce martini glasses (or 2 larger ones)
Ingredients
Rim Ingredients
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoon caramel syrup (optional)
Martini Ingredients
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 oz apple cider
- 4 oz gin
- 2 teaspoon elderflower liqueur
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 4 dashes angostura bitters
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together on a plate. Drizzle the edge of a coupe glass with caramel syrup, allowing it to drizzle into the center of the glass. Then roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture until the edge is evenly coated.
- Begin by adding two 3-inch sprigs of thyme to your shaker. Carefully muddle them until leaves are crushed (but not pulverized), releasing their fragrant oils.
- Add apple cider, gin, St. Germain, lemon juice, maple syrup, angostura bitters, and ice to shaker. Shake thoroughly before double straining into coupe glass. Garnish & serve!
Notes
-
- If cinnamon and sugar isn't sticking to the rim, you may want to pour some caramel onto the plate, dipping the outer edge of the rim to coat it before dipping back into the sugar and cinnamon.
- For the best results, chill martini glasses for 15 minutes in the freezer before preparing your apple cider martini!
- If your muddler has grooves that seem to trap the thyme leaves (preventing them from being muddled properly), you might have more luck using the smooth end. Don't have a muddler? You can also use the back of a spoon!
- "Double straining" refers to straining a cocktail through both a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer. The Hawthorne strainer sits atop the shaker to catch the larger ingredients (such as ice cubes) while the fine mesh strainer filters out the smaller ingredients, such as the thyme leaves.
- Check out Mixed Drinks 101: How To Shake A Cocktail if you need some pointers on the proper technique!
- Want it sparkling? Top it off with a splash of club soda, champagne, ginger beer, or Martinelli's sparkling cider!
-
- This recipe yields enough for 4 small coupe glasses or 2 large ones.
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