Apple Cider Margarita

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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published Sep 5, 2024
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angled shot of two glasses of apple cider margarita, garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon stick
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

It’s the best way to turn apple cider into cocktail bliss.

Serves1

Prep5 minutes

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angled shot of two glasses of apple cider margarita, garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon stick
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

While an ice-cold classic margarita is my drink of choice during the warm summer months, the arrival of fall means it’s prime time for anything with apples and warm spices. Here, I pair silver or reposado tequila with crisp apple cider (’tis the season!), maple syrup, lemon, and a touch of cinnamon. This apple cider margarita is my salute to fall; it’s not too sweet and perfect for happy hour with a Halloween snack board or as a post-dinner sipper.

Why You’ll Love It

  • It’s just as refreshing as a regular margarita. Even though apple cider is the foundation of this cocktail, it’s as balanced and refreshing as a regular margarita.
  • You get all the flavors of fall in each sip. Apple cider, maple syrup, and a touch of ground cinnamon all add their signature fall flavors to this margarita.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

Key Ingredients in an Apple Cider Margarita

  • Tequila. You can use silver (bartenders love this brand) or reposado tequila here. Silver is usually unaged or aged very briefly, while reposado is aged in oak barrels for up to a year and has a toastier, more vanilla flavor; both work marvelously well here. Choose silver for a brighter agave flavor, or opt for reposado if you want deeper notes.
  • Apple cider. Although apple cider is tastiest in the fall when it’s their season, you can use an unfiltered apple juice in its place. Just don’t use apple juice, which is filtered and sweetened.
  • Maple syrup. Works as a sweetener as its flavors complement apple cider so well. The darker the maple syrup, the more flavorful it will be in the cocktail.
  • Lemon. Margaritas traditionally contain lime juice, but lemon pairs better with the apple cider here.

How to Make an Apple Cider Margarita

  1. Juice a lemon. You’ll need 3/4 ounce lemon juice per margarita.
  2. Shake and strain the cocktail. Shake the lemon juice with tequila, apple cider, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and ice. Strain into a glass and garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple slices.

Helpful Swaps

  • If you don’t have maple syrup, swap in agave nectar or simple syrup. These won’t have the deeper flavors that maple syrup does, but will still add the right amount of sweetness.
  • Lime juice can be used in place of the lemon juice, and lime makes the cocktail a bit more like a traditional margarita.
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Apple Cider Margarita Recipe

It’s the best way to turn apple cider into cocktail bliss.

Prep time 5 minutes

Serves 1

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • Ice

  • 1

    medium lemon

  • 2 ounces

    reposado or silver tequila

  • 1 1/2 ounces

    apple cider or unfiltered apple juice

  • 1/2 ounce

    maple syrup

  • 1 pinch

    ground cinnamon

  • Garnish options: cinnamon stick, thin apple slices

Instructions

  1. For a drink served up, refrigerate or freeze a margarita glass. For a drink served on the rocks, fill an old-fashioned glass with ice.

  2. Juice 1 medium lemon until you have 3/4 ounce. Place the lemon juice, 2 ounces tequila, 1 1/2 ounces apple cider, 1/2 ounce maple syrup, and 1 pinch ground cinnamon in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker halfway with ice. Seal the shaker and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is very cold and frosty, about 20 seconds.

  3. Pour through a strainer into the glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and thin apple slices if desired.

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Beverages
Cocktails
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