Give your margaritas a cozy fall makeover with this Apple Cider Margarita recipe! A fun spin on the classic, this cocktail is lightly sweetened with real maple syrup and the sweet-and-salty cinnamon rim adds a festive touch. Perfect for sitting around a fall fire or kicking off your Thanksgiving gathering!
Most margarita recipes have a summery feel to them – and while I’m more than happy to partake year-round, I find myself favoring those with warmer or more festive flavors when there’s a chill in the air. This Apple Cider Margarita is a great example, with fresh-pressed apple cider, maple syrup, and a salted cinnamon sugar rim. It’s perfect for glorious fall days or a celebratory clink before Thanksgiving dinner, and joins the ranks of other cozy fall-and-winter margs like my Cranberry Margarita and Bourbon Margarita. Enjoy!
Why I Can’t Get Enough of This Apple Cider Margarita Recipe
One of our family’s favorite fall things is to visit local apple orchards. We pick apples, enjoy a just-grilled apple brat, and take home a jug of fresh-pressed apple cider. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy that apple cider – I just know that you will too!
- Refreshing, but with a fall twist. This apple cider margarita manages to bridge the gap between summer and fall/winter, with seasonal apple flavor and warm spiced cinnamon, while also maintaining the refreshing quality that a margarita is known for. Serve it with Blackened Shrimp Tacos for a beautiful fall meal!
- Easy to make. Simply rim the glass, shake the marg ingredients, and pour! Just like a Classic Margarita, this apple cider rendition is great for those who only dabble in cocktail-making, because it doesn’t require a long list of specialty liqueurs or bar equipment.
- Fun for a party. If you like to offer a signature cocktail when you’re hosting, this apple cider margarita is sure to be a hit! I share a pitcher version later in this post (also in the printable recipe card) to help you make a big batch.
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these apple cider margaritas. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
For the Rim:
- Apple cider – Use a bit of the fresh-pressed apple cider to wet the glass rim – this helps the rest of the ingredients stick to the rim!
- Sugar – Mix granulated white sugar with cinnamon for the cinnamon-sugar rim.
- Cinnamon – Or use an equal amount of my favorite Apple Pie Spice, SO GOOD!
- Salt – Because you canNOT have a margarita without salt on the rim!! (At least, in my opinion!)
For the Apple Cider Margarita:
- Apple cider – Use fresh-pressed apple cider; the kind that’s a cloudy brown color and comes refrigerated in bottles and jugs. This is not the same as apple juice or alcoholic apple cider. (Also make my Apple Cider Sangria, while you have some of this apple cider on hand!)
- Tequila – I use blanco tequila, for its clean flavor. It is unaged, with an agave-forward flavor. If you like aged tequila, it would be beautiful in this cocktail.
- Orange liqueur – Such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec. Traditional margaritas include this, and it’s quite beautiful with the other warm flavors going on in this drink.
- Lime juice – Freshly-squeezed lime juice gives the absolute best, freshest flavor.
- Maple syrup – Use real maple syrup (not pancake syrup or breakfast syrup that includes other ingredients).
- Optional garnishes – Thin apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and/or star anise.
How to Make an Apple Cider Margarita
This step-by-step guide shows you the process.
- Rim the glass. Pour a bit of the apple cider onto a small plate. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt on a second plate. Dip the rim of the glass into the apple cider, followed by the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Then add ice to the glass.
- Combine drink ingredients. Add the margarita ingredients to a cocktail shaker, then add ice to the halfway point.
- Shake. Cover the cocktail shaker and shake for a good 30 seconds, to perfectly chill and dilute the drink.
- Serve. Strain the apple cider margarita into the rimmed glass and garnish as desired, then serve.
Tips for Success
Here are a few additional pointers for making this apple cider margarita recipe.
- Don’t have a cocktail shaker? Then just grab a jar with a tight-fitting lid!
- Shake for 30 seconds. Count the 30 seconds in your head or set a timer; it’s longer than you might think! The shaking dilutes and chills the margarita to just the perfect amount.
- Replace the ice. Don’t use the ice from the shaker in your margarita. Fresh ice won’t melt as quickly – plus, it’ll make your drink look prettier!
Big Batch Apple Cider Margaritas
If you want to make a pitcher of apple cider margaritas, here are the measurements to make a pitcher to serve four drinks. Double it for a larger party!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh pressed apple cider
- 6 ounces blanco tequila
- 4 ounces orange liqueur
- 4 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons real maple syrup
Pitcher Instructions
- Mix the margarita ingredients in a pitcher or large jar, without ice, and let it chill in the fridge. You can do this up to 6 hours in advance.
- Rim the glasses; set aside in a cool place until you’re ready to serve. I recommend doing this step no more than 1 hour prior to serving.
- When guests arrive, add ice to the prepared glasses.
- Give the pitcher mixture a thorough stir to combine evenly.
- Pour 8 ounces of pitcher mixture into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake drink for 30 seconds.
- Pour into ice-filled glass.
- Garnish as desired.
- Repeat. Repeat. Repeat!
What to Serve With Apple Cider Margaritas
These margaritas pair well with all of your favorite Tex-Mex dishes, from Fish Tacos and Mole Pork Tacos, to Creamy Enchilada Chili and Macho Nachos. We also enjoy sipping them while snacking on chips & Warm Salsa!
More Margarita Recipes
Apple Cider Margarita
Ingredients
Rim
- 1 tablespoon fresh pressed apple cider
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Apple Cider Margarita
- 4 ounces fresh pressed apple cider
- 1½ ounces blanco tequila
- 1 ounce orange liqueur (such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec)
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon real maple syrup
Optional Garnishes
- thin apple slices
- cinnamon stick
- star anise
Instructions
Rim
- Pour the apple cider onto a small plate.
- Add sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a small plate and stir until evenly combined.
- Dip glass rim into apple cider, pull the glass straight up, and let excess cider drip off. Then dip wet rim into sugar/cinnamon/salt mixture. Set aside.
Apple Cider Margarita
- Add apple cider, tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and maple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add ice to half-full. Cover and vigorously shake for 30 seconds to perfectly chill and dilute the drink.
- Add fresh ice to prepared glass and strain the margarita over the ice. Garnish with apple slices, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
Notes
- 16 ounces fresh-pressed apple cider
- 6 ounces blanco tequila
- 4 ounces orange liqueur
- 4 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons real maple syrup
- Mix the margarita ingredients in a pitcher or large jar, without ice, and let it chill in the fridge. You can do this up to 6 hours in advance.
- Rim the glasses; set aside in a cool place until you’re ready to serve. I recommend doing this step no more than 1 hour prior to serving.
- When guests arrive, add ice to the prepared glasses.
- Give the pitcher mixture a thorough stir to combine evenly.
- Pour 8 ounces of pitcher mixture into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake drink for 30 seconds.
- Pour into ice-filled glass.
- Garnish as desired.
- Repeat. Repeat. Repeat!
get new posts via email: