Apple Cider Cocktail Recipe

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With apple cider, rum and Fireball Whisky, this spiked apple cider cocktail is the perfect drink during the fall season.

I love me a good cocktail - from a pumpkin martini to bourbon peach smash to an apple cider Moscow Mule.

When you think of fall fruit, you think of apples. A few years ago Lauren and I got married in the fall. As has become popular with weddings these days, we wanted to have a signature drink.

I remember the summer leading up to the wedding, we were trying different drinks almost every weekend. The one thing we knew is we wanted to have apple involved as we had a fall wedding.

After enjoying quite a few different iterations, we settled on a simple yet tasty recipe I found on Food Network that only had three ingredients, four if you wanted some fresh apple in it - an apple cocktail. To play off the wedding, we named it Applely Ever After.

Obviously since we picked this drink we thought they were good, but didn't have any idea how popular they'd be at the wedding. I had multiple people afterward ask for the recipe. Everyone was surprised how easy it was!

These apple cocktails can be dangerous as the Fireball Whisky complements the apple cider perfectly! Make no mistake, there is a decent amount of alcohol in them so don't go overboard, unless you want to of course. I hope you enjoy!

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Ingredient Notes
Liquor Alternatives
How to Make
FAQs
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
Other Cocktail Recipes
Apple Cider Cocktail

Ingredient Notes

Apple cider - it is called an Apple cider cocktail for a reason. I love making this during the fall with fresh apple cider but apple juice can be used in a pinch.
Dark rum - adds a sweet toasted sugar flavor. Just use your favorite brand. I go with Captain Morgan.
Fireball Whisky - adds a spicy/almost cinnamon-like flavor.
Apples - I like to add some fresh apples to the cocktail. Honeycrisp is my go-to.

Liquor Alternatives

If you aren't a fan of rum, bourbon works well as well. My go-to for Bourbon is Jim Beam. You don't need to go fancy as the apple and Fireball are the main flavors.

As for the Fireball, it is difficult to replace due to the spice flavors but there are some good options.

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire
Wild Turkey American Honey Sting
Jim Beam Fire

How to Make

Mix together the apple cider, dark rum and Fireball Whisky in a large pitcher. Slice an apple and toss in lemon juice so it doesn't brown. Pour spiked cider into glass with crushed ice and garnish with sliced apple.

FAQs

Can I Make in Advance?

This apple cocktail is perfectly suited to make in advance although it doesn't change the flavor. If you want to make ahead of time, just don't add the ice or fresh apple. Wait until ready to serve.

How Do I Make for a Crowd?

This apple cocktail is perfect for a party. Just stir a gallon of apple cider, 2 cups rum and 2 cups Fireball Whisky. This will be enough for 16 drinks.

Can I Serve Warm?

They great thing about this drink is you can serve cold or warm. It just really depends on your mood. If you serve warm, it is almost like a hot toddy.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

Toss the apple in some lemon juice so it doesn't brown.
Used crushed ice which will make the apple cocktail colder quicker.
Add a cinnamon stick and then you can use it as a straw.

apple cider cocktail in glass on dish towel

Other Cocktail Recipes

If you’ve tried this apple cider cocktail or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

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5 from 9 votes