Best Apple Cider Margarita Cocktail  

An Apple Cider Margarita is the perfect way to take the classic Margarita Cocktail into fall.  This fruity drink is sweet, tangy and captures all the fall flavors we love.  While the cinnamon sugar rim on your glass will make you feel warm and cozy with every sip.  

Apple season is my favorite time of year and once it arrives, I start to crave apple everything.  I can’t seem to get enough of the cozy flavors of apples and cinnamon together.  Give me a piece of moist Apple Cinnamon Cake, a delicious Apple Crostata or soft and spicy Apple cookies and I am a happy girl. So, an apple margarita is a fall twist I can get into.

The Ideal Fall Cocktail

Here’s what you will love about these apple cider margaritas:

• This drink takes all the traditional margarita ingredients we love and adds sweet warm cinnamon, sugar, and apple flavors to an already perfect combination.
• The perfect balance between sweet and tangy in this apple cider margarita recipe is a crowd pleaser.  I have yet to meet anyone that doesn’t love this!
• It’s the perfect drink to make ahead in a pitcher when you are serving a larger crowd.  Then just set out the pitcher and the garnishes and let everyone help themselves.

What You Need to Make a Good Margarita

• Tequila: You simply can’t make a margarita without Tequila.  Select your favorite Tequila or the one that suits you best.  There are 3 main types of Tequila to choose from:
  • Blanco Tequila:  Also known as silver Tequila, is aged for about 60 days.  It will usually have a bit more bite to it and is the go-to for mixing cocktails.
  • Reposado Tequila:  Reposado which means “rested” sits in the barrel for 2-11 months.  It has warmer tones and a smoother finish.  This is my choice for most cocktails that call for tequila.
  • Añejo Tequila:  Añejo means “old” and that is the perfect description for this type of tequila because it is aged for 1-3 years in oak barrels.  This has a very smooth finish, so it is reserved for sipping straight up.  You would not normally use this in a mixed drink, but of course if that is what you like, go for it!
• An Orange Flavored Liqueur such as Grand Marnier, Triple sec or Cointreau: These orange liqueurs are often used in mixed drinks such as margaritas, cosmopolitans, and Long Island Iced Teas.  
• Apple Cider: This time of year, fresh apple cider is easy to find in your grocery store or the farmers the market.  You can use apple juice, but the drink won’t have the same rich flavor that you would get from apple cider.
• Fresh Lime Juice:  As with any good margarita, you should use fresh squeezed lime juice.  
• Cinnamon and Sugar:  In place of the salt rim in a classic margarita, cinnamon and sugar will create a sweet, warm rim on your cocktail glass.  The cinnamon sugar mixture is easy to make, but you can purchase the premade version at the grocery store. 

How to Make Tasty Apple Cider Margaritas

Make One:

Mix all the ingredients except the cinnamon and sugar in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Give it a good shake and pour the drink into a prepared glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish your drink with sliced apples for a simple but festive fall cocktail.   If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, a large mason jar with a lid is a great option!

Make a Pitcher to Share 

This makes 8 servings.  Combine these ingredients in a pitcher:

• 2 cups of Tequila
• 4 cups of Apple Cider
• 1 cup of Orange Liqueur
• 1/2 cup of Lime Juice

If you are planning on serving the cocktails immediately add about 2 cups of ice cubes to the pitcher and stir, then strain the cocktails into prepared glasses filled with ice.  If you are making the cocktails ahead of time, leave the ice out of the pitcher.  Place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  This will cool the drinks down without diluting them. 

How to Make a Cinnamon Sugar Rim 2 Ways

1. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow rimmed plate or bowl. Add water to another rimmed plate. Hold your cocktail glass upside down and dip the rim of the glass first in the water and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
2. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass then dip the rim of your cocktail glass in the cinnamon sugar.

Tip

If you want to garnish your drinks with fresh apple slices and don’t want them to turn brown, rub them with lemon juice.  Your apple’s will look beautiful in your cocktails!

FAQ’s

Other Delicious Cocktails You Will Love

If you love margaritas as much as I do, you will want to try my nutty Italian spin on the classic.  My Italian Margarita is made with amaretto to give a sweet and nutty flavor.  

A light and refreshing Hugo Spritz Cocktail is an elderflower version of the popular Aperol Spritz and is perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day.  A couple of other Italian inspired drinks include a Sicilian Kiss and A Black Manhattan or Sicilian Manhattan. Both cocktails are very booze forward and are delicious as aperitivos or after dinner drinks.