You’ll fall in love with these delicious seasonal apple cider drinks. There’s something for everyone — kids included — and for every occasion. From hot apple cider to cider cocktails, you’ll find the perfect drink for your Thanksgiving or Christmas get-togethers.
Ready to trade your summer sips for something more suitable for fall? Try one of these delicious apple cider drinks to quench your thirst.
Say what you will about pumpkin spice, but apple cider is the “it” flavor of fall for me. I can’t wait for the calender to flip and the weather to chill so I can have my first apple cider drink of the season.
Normally, though, it’s stil too hot in early fall in North Carolina for a mug of hot apple cider. So I’ll indulge in an apple cider slushie or an apple cider mimosa at brunch instead.
If you’re not already a fan of apple cider drinks, these recipes and ideas will make you fall in love with the seasonal flavor. We’ve found the best and most creative ways to serve it. Not only do we have recipes for apple cider drinks, we also have holiday-inspired cocktails and other seasonal recipes.
You can use the Table of Contents below to jump ahead to specific recipes, or keep scrolling to explore all the beverage options.
Jump to:
- What is Apple Cider?
- What to Mix with Apple Cider
- Hot Apple Cider Drinks
- Simple Apple Cider Drinks
- What Liquors Can I Mix With Apple Cider?
- Apple Cider & Rum Cocktails
- Apple Cider Vodka Cocktails
- Bourbon & Whiskey Cocktail Ideas
- Wine and Apple Cider Drinks
- Tequila Cocktail ideas
- Champagne, Prosecco or Sparkling Wine
- Beer And Apple Cider Mixed Drinks
- Adult Apple Cider Cocktails
- Apple Cider For The Holidays
- More Fall Cocktails & Mocktails
- More Hot Drinks for Fall & Winter
What is Apple Cider?
Ever wondered about the difference between apple cider and apple juice?
Think of apple cider as the pulpier cousin of apple juice. It is often brown in color with bits of sediment or pulp floating in the bottle, while apple juice is a clear amber color without any pulp.
To make apple cider, freshly harvested apples are washed and ground into apple mash. The apple mash looks similar to homemade applesauce.
Then the mash is pressed through cloth to squeeze out the liquid. This pulpy juice is bottled and sold as apple cider.
Apple juice, by comparison, is filtered to remove solids or pulp, and it is pasteurerized to make it shelf stable.
Some apple orchards and local farmers’ markets sell fresh, unpastuerized apple cider during the fall. Fresh cider must be kept refrigerated to prevent fermentation, and it’s only good for about 10 days. Raw, unpasteurized apple cider can carry food-borne illnesses if proper sanitation practices aren’t followed, so you should be careful when drinking it.
You can find pasteurized apple cider at most grocery stores. If you’re lucky enough to live near an apple orchard or a cider mill, you can often buy apple cider there in fall.
Apple cider, which shouldn’t be confused with hard cider, is non-alcoholic. But apple cider can used to make mixed drinks.
What to Mix with Apple Cider
As you’ll see from the drink recipes below, apple cider tastes great with a lot of different flavors. There are lots of different options if want to make an apple cider mixed drink or a non-alcoholic beverage.
What flavors go well with apple cider?
As you’re mixing your own apple cider drinks and making your own spice blends, you can’t go wrong with these combinations:
- caramel
- cinnamon
- vanilla
- oranges or orange juice
- cranberries or cranberry juice
- ginger
- mint
- lemon juice
- brown sugar
Simple syrups and coffee syrups are a great way to add sweetness and flavor to apple cider drinks. Try homemade Brown Sugar Syrup or Cinnamon Caramel Simple Syrup in hot cider drinks.
Hot Apple Cider Drinks
These non-alcoholic drinks will warm you up on a chilly fall or winter day.
Simple Apple Cider Drinks
These non-alcoholic apple cider drinks are so refreshing. They’re a great alternative to tea, soda or plain fruit juice.
What Liquors Can I Mix With Apple Cider?
If you’re looking to make an apple cider alcohol drink, you have a lot of mixer options and twists on classic cocktails you can make.
Below, you’ll find ideas for mixing apple cider with rum, vodka, bourbon, whiskey, wine, tequila, champagne, prosecco, sparkling wine and beer. You’ll also find links to specific recipes to try.
Apple Cider & Rum Cocktails
- Subsitute apple cider for water in this Hot Buttered Rum recipe.
- Mix up a batch of mojitos using cider instead of club soda.
- Add cider to a classic hot toddy for a flavor twist.
- Make a fall version of a dark and stormy cocktail.
Apple Cider Vodka Cocktails
- Mix cider with vanilla vodka, caramel vodka, cinnamon vodka or another flavored vodka.
- Try an Apple Pie Martini as a post-dinner drink.
- Skip that slice of pie and instead have an Apple Pie Dessert Cocktail, made with vanilla vodka.
Bourbon & Whiskey Cocktail Ideas
- Add equal parts of apple cider and bourbon to an old fashioned to make a delicious fall cocktail.
- Add a splash of Fireball or another cinnamon whiskey to a mug of hot cider.
- Cider Jello Shots are great for tailgating in the fall.
- Serve Hot Cider Nog in front of the firepit or at your Friendsgiving gathering.
- Muddle lemon quarters in a glass, then mix in equal parts bourbon and apple cider and a drizzle of simple syrup.
Wine and Apple Cider Drinks
- Subsitute apple cider for fruit juice in your favorite sangria recipe.
- Brew up a batch of mulled wine to serve at. the holidays,
Tequila Cocktail ideas
- Combine Grand Marnier, lime juice and apple cider to make a fall-worthy margarita.
- Make an apple-flavored sidecar that can be served hot or cold, depending on the weather.
Champagne, Prosecco or Sparkling Wine
- Toast brunch in the fall with an apple cider mimosa.
- Make a batch of apple cider sangria with sparkling apple cider, apples, pears and oranges
- Enjoy a refreshing aperol spritz with an apple twist.
Beer And Apple Cider Mixed Drinks
- Make an apple cider mule using ginger beer and cinnamon vodka.
- Try this Harvest Punch, which is made with cider, ginger beer, vodka and processo.
- Mix up a cider shandy that substitutes apple cider for lemonade.
Adult Apple Cider Cocktails
Need more recipe inspiration? You’ll love these apple-flavored cocktails.
Apple Cider For The Holidays
If you’ll looking for a recipe that will serve a crowd, try one of these pretty punches and brews.
Not only do they taste great, but they also look festive with the addition of cinnamon sticks, star anise, apple slices, cranberries, orange slices and other garnishes!
More Fall Cocktails & Mocktails
Still thirsty? Try one of these fall libations when you’re craving something other than apple cider.
- 14 Vanilla Vodka Cocktails
- Pomegranate Mimosa
- Red Hot Cinnamon Apple Martini
- Moonshine Old Fashioned
- Bourbon and Vodka Spiked Holiday Punch
- Sugar-Free Orange Pomegranate Juice Spritzer
- Iced Peppermint Mocha
- Quick.& Easy Mocktail Recipes
More Hot Drinks for Fall & Winter
Chase away the fall and winter chill with these other delicious hot beverages.
- Cranberry Spiced Tea
- Peppermint White Hot Chocolate
- Red Velvet Hot Chocolate Bombs
- Spiked Chai Tea Latte
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