Spiked Apple Cider: Delicious Fall Alcoholic Drink

Many varieties of alcohols work well in this spiked apple cider recipe! Darker spirits, such as bourbon, rum or whiskey, will give your cocktail a warmer taste. And clear spirits, such as gin or vodka will give your cocktail a lighter taste.

• Gin: While far from traditional, gin actually pairs beautifully with this spiked apple cider cocktail. I prefer to select a gin that is citrus-forward and leans into fruity-sweet flavors or fruit-herbal flavors.
• Vodka: If you prefer a spirit with a less pronounced flavor, vodka is a great option for this boozy apple cider. Vodka has almost no flavor aside from the grainy, slightly spicy flavor of ethanol.
• Whiskey: There are many varieties of whiskey and each type can have dramatically different flavors and aromas. I personally prefer to using Rye or Irish whiskey to prepare apple cider cocktails. Irish whiskey has a clean flavor consisting of vanilla, orchard fruits and wood, which makes it a great choice for apple cocktails. On the other hand, Rye whiskey is similar to bourbon; however, it isn’t as sweet. It also has less body and offers a slightly spicier flavor.
• Bourbon: Bourbon is heavier in texture with a sweeter flavor than other styles of whiskey. It offers subtle notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon and oak. Next to gin, bourbon is personally my favorite alcohol to use with cider.
• Rum: Rum has a slightly sweeter profile with notes of toasted sugar. While both light and dark rum work here, I personally love using a good Gold Rum for its sweeter taste and subtle caramel flavor. However, spiced rum is delicious as well.
• Brandy: Fruity with a subtly sweet taste, Brandy also pairs well with apples and cider, especially Apple Brandy or French Calvados.
• Fireball: If you are looking to shake things up, Fireball is a great alcohol to use in apple cider. This cinnamon whiskey will give your cocktail a combination of sweet and spicy flavors.

Absolutely. Store bought cider is perfectly fine. However, just make sure you opt for unfiltered or fresh cider for the richest flavors. And be sure to avoid clear apple juices as they lack the same depth of flavor and spices found in cider.

You sure can. Feel free to experiment with fruits and flavorful ingredients to create a spiked apple cider drink YOU love. Fruits such as cranberries, pears, and even citruses play well with apples, while flavors like ginger and vanilla can create uniquely delicious drinks.

You can enjoy this cider spiked cocktail both ways – hot and cold!

For a cozy fall drink, heat the cocktail over low heat on the stove or in a slow cooker or crock pot. And then serve them warm copper mugs or coffee cups. And if you prefer a refreshing, light cocktail, chill the spiced cider or serve it over ice.

Fresh apples add a delicious touch of fruity flavor and provide a beautiful aesthetic in cocktails! When it comes to fresh apples in a cocktail, anything goes! If you are looking for a robust flavor and pretty presentation, use a combination of different varieties of apples. But, whatever apple you chose, be sure to pick a variety you actually enjoy eating!

• Golden Delicious apples are cheery bright yellow in color with a mellow, sweet flavor.
• Red Delicious apples are similar to golden delicious; however, they are less sweet in flavor and (obviously) red in color.
• Honeycrisp apples are incredibly juicy with a moderately sweet and subtly tart flavor.
• Gala apples are aromatically-sweet and feature a pretty pink-orange stripe atop a yellow background.
• Pink Lady apples have a unique sweet-tart flavor and are named for their bright pink skin.
• Gala apples are aromatically-sweet and feature a pretty pink-orange stripe atop a yellow background.
• Granny Smith apples have a delicious tart flavor and are pale green in color! I love pairing them with a sweeter variety of apples.

Absolutely – If you are serving cocktails at a party, batching is the way to go! Batching allows you to mix a large quantity of this spiked apple cider recipe at once (usually in a pitcher or party punch-style bowl). And that means you can host and serve your cocktails stress-free.

• Adjust the recipe: This cocktail recipe yields 2 drinks. Hoover your mouse over the “servings” in the recipe card and use the slider to scale the recipe up as desired. Double check the quantities of the ingredients to ensure everything properly adjusted. Tip: If the recipe adjusted to a decimal or a weird number, always round up to give yourself a little wiggle room!
• Mix, Measure and Set Aside: Mix the simple syrup and set aside. Measure and pour the spirit into a pitcher or serving vessel. (Always add your alcohol first incase you incorrectly measure)! Add the simple syrup to the pitcher. Measure the cider and pour it into the pitcher along with the cinnamon. Stir the cocktail together, cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.
• Prepare Garnish: If you plan on garnishing your cocktail with apple slices, go ahead and prep (slice) the apples. To prevent the apples from oxidizing, add 2 tablespoons of lime juice to 2 cups of water in container with a tight fitting lid. Submerge the apples in the lime water and store them in the refrigerator.

• Glassware: Get your glassware ready to go. If you plan on rimming the glasses with sugar or cinnamon, do that before any guests arrive.
• Juice Limes: Cut the fresh limes and juice them into a small container. Measure out the lime juice and add it to the pitcher of cocktails. (I prefer to wait to squeeze the fresh citrus juice to prevent it from oxidizing and tasting “off”.)
• Add ice: Add a small amount of ice (to taste) to the pitcher and stir the contents well. (Be light handed when adding ice to the pitcher so you don’t water down the cocktail – you can always add more ice to the pitcher right before serving or serve the cocktail on the rocks!)
• Taste and adjust: Pour a small amount of the spiked apple cider drink and taste it. Adjust the batch cocktail as needed – adding more simple syrup, spirits, lime juice or cinnamon as you deem necessary.
• Chill: Place the pitcher back into the refrigerator to chill until serving time.
• Just before serving – add garnishes: Just before serving, add a handful of apple slices and a few sprigs of thyme to the pitcher.
• If you are using a sparkling element: If you are adding a sparkling element to this boozy apple cider – such as sparkling cider, hard cider, ginger beer or ginger ale – do not add it until your guests have arrived! If you add it too soon you will lose all the effervescence!