Tired of spiking your pumpkin spice latte? Cozy up to one of these boozy apple cider concoctions instead. From wine friendly recipes to decadent dessert drinks – you’ll definitely want to sip on a few of these after (or before?) you hit up the apple orchard.
Spiked Apple Cider Floats
Image via whatscookinglove.com
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 ounces spiced bourbon
- 3 scoops ice cream
- Caramel ice cream topping
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- In a glass add two scoops of ice cream. Drizzle a spoonful of caramel ice cream and add a pinch of cinnamon on top.
- Mix bourbon with apple cider and pour until the ice cream is covered.
- Serve cold with a spoon or straw.
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Apple Cider Sangria
Image via mylifeandkids.com
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of Pinot Grigio or Rosé (recommended: 2013 Early Mountain Vineyards Rosé)
- 2½ cups apple cider
- 1 cup club soda
- ½ cup honey brandy
- A few dashes of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 2 honey crisp apples, chopped
- 2 pears, chopped
- Cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Combine ingredients, stir well, and drink up.
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Apple Cider Bourbon Punch
Image via heatherchristo.com
Ingredients
- 2 cored and chopped Granny Smith apples
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 ¾ cups sparkling apple juice
- 1 ½ cups bourbon
- 1 ½ cups spiced apple cider
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss the chopped apples with the lemon juice and the cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large pitcher, mix the sparkling apple juice, bourbon and cider.
- Fill glasses with ice and some apple chunks and pour the bourbon-cider mixture over the top and serve immediately.
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Spiced Cider Margarita
Image via domesticate-me.com
Ingredients
- 5 ounces spiced apple cider
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- .5 ounces Grand Marnier
- 1.5 ounces mescal or gold tequila
- For garnish:
- 2 tablespoons raw sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cinnamon sticks
- Apple slices
Instructions
- Start by rimming the glass. In a small bowl, combine the raw sugar and cinnamon. Pour a splash of Grand Marnier into a separate bowl. Dip the rim of the glass in the Grand Marnier to moisten it, and then immediately dip the glass in cinnamon sugar.
- Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well-combined pour over ice into rimmed cocktail glass and serve.
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Apple Cider Eggnog
Image via southerliving.com
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- ½ cup bourbon
For garnish:
- Whipped cream
- Cinnamon sticks
- Apple slices
Instructions
- Whisk together 2 cups half-and-half, 1 cup each milk and apple cider, 2 large eggs, 1⁄2 cup sugar, 1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1⁄8 tsp. each salt and ground nutmeg in a heavy saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon.
- Remove from heat; stir in 1⁄2 cup bourbon.
- Top each serving with sweetened whipped cream. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, and apple slices.
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Hot Mulled Red Wine Cider
Image via gimmesomeoven.com
Ingredients
- 4 cups apple cider
- 1 bottle red wine (recommended: 2012 Two Ponds Cabernet Sauvignon)
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 4 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 4 oranges, peeled for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve.
