A Simple Apple Cider Martini Recipe

Apple cider martinis are an elegant way of enjoying the apple cider haul. They're not overly sweet; rather, they have an excellent spiced flavor, unlike any other flavored martinis. In fact, they're the adult version of that apple orchard gold. Skip the sour apple pucker this time around and shake up an apple cider martini. You'll soon find a new favorite cocktail.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces spiced rum
• 1½ ounces apple cider
• ½ ounce butterscotch schnapps
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Ice
• Cinnamon stick for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, spiced rum, apple cider, butterscotch schnapps, and lemon juice.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

Variations and Substitutions

It's simple enough to swap a few ingredients if there are flavors you don't care for, or you simply don't have one on hand.

• If you don't care for spiced rum, consider using cinnamon vodka.
• Vodka with a splash of allspice dram is a great alternative, as well.
• You can use a caramel spirit or liqueur in place of butterscotch schnapps.
• Bourbon or mezcal also make a great base spirit.

Garnishes

With so many flavors that complement one another, there are a few garnish options other than a simple cinnamon stick.

• Use an apple slice as a garnish.
• Consider a lemon wedge or wheel for a more citrus-forward martini.
• Char or smoke the cinnamon stick for extra flavor.

About Apple Cider Martinis

There's no direct path to trace between the invention of the classic martini long before Prohibition and the apple cider martini. But what can be concluded is that people still wanted to enjoy a martini-style cocktail, but with a bit more flavor.

Flavored martinis aren't typically viewed as being the same as the more traditional or classic martini. Many don't use vermouth and most, if not all, use a mixer or other liqueur in their ingredients as well. However, much of the popularity of flavored martinis is due to the cocktail renaissance of the modern era. People were looking for new or interesting ways to shake up and consume different spirits, and flavored martinis provided a unique means of doing so.

The New Apple Martini

Not all apple martinis need to have that sour pucker or bright green hue. They can instead have a spiced and rich complexity. The apple cider martini is the quintessential fall martini, one sure to please all. So go ahead and skip the pucker in favor of a rich apple cider flavor.