The Apple Cider Mimosa is one of our favorite fall cocktails. It's bubbly, fruity, crisp, slightly sweet, and, like other Mimosa cocktails, easy to make.
The sparkly apple flavor works for a brunch in October or a cozy afternoon just as well as a themed, festive aperitif for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.
The Apple Cider Mimosa is a classic two-component drink and calls for sparkling wine and apple cider. Yet, some like to upgrade it with a splash of Triple Sec and a cinnamon sugar rim.
While I support the idea of Cointreau in my Apple Cider Mimosa, I'm not a fan of the cinnamon sugar rim. But let's talk about the basics first.
The selection of sparkling wines is ever-growing, and you've got a wide range to choose from. What once was a simple and straightforward decision can now become quite a headache to some. -Especially if you don't usually drink sparkling wine.
For this Apple Cider Mimosa, you don't want a bubbly that is too sweet. Whether you choose Prosecco, Cava, Sekt, or Champagne, pick something labeled at least Extra Dry or Brut.
Don't let yourself be misguided to opt for a sparkling wine that says only dry on the label. By today's standards, it's still quite sweet and only is called dry for historical reasons.
This Apple Cider Mimosa calls for apple cider like you usually get it in the US. It's a non-alcoholic, unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice.
Outside the US, you may know it as apple juice. There, cider refers to an alcoholic beverage made from apples. That, in turn, is known in the US as hard cider.
So, to sum it up: If you're from the US and Canada, you need apple cider for this recipe. If you're not from North America, shop for cloudy apple juice.
Incorporating Triple Sec into your Apple Cider Mimosa is purely optional. It adds some extra depth of flavor and brings in a beautiful orange aroma that fits the fall theme nicely.
The dry and slightly bitter orange liqueur also balances the sweetness of the apple cider and slightly increases the overall ABV.
My favorite choice for cocktails is Cointreau. And if you're unsure what to do without apart from mixing Apple Cider Mimosas, here's a list of our favorite Cointreau cocktails.
Some recipes for Apple Cider Mimosas suggest rimming your champagne flute with a mix of sugar and cinnamon. But while, in general, I definitely love the taste of it, I do not like it with this cocktail.
I agree that a rimmed glass looks nice, but since you don't serve Mimosas with a straw, it's impossible to avoid getting lumpy bits in your drink when sipping it. Plus, I find it too sweet.
Still, if you want to rim your glass, mix a bit of caster sugar with cinnamon powder and put the mix on a saucer.
Then, moisten the rim of your glass with a bit of apple cider and dip it into the sugar-cinnamon mix before prepping your drinks.
If you search for more autumn-themed drinks, try the Maple Old Fashioned. It's a beautiful seasonal twist on one of the most classic cocktail recipes out there.
Or you can try the Milk Punch, a popular drink in the Southern states of the US for cold days. It's a blend of Rum, whole milk, syrup, and spices.
For a more comprehensive list of our autumn favorites, check out our list of the best fall cocktails.
You don't see it often on bar menus, still, the Angel Face Cocktail is one of the Unforgettables on the official list of the IBA. The pre-prohibition drink was indeed made unforgettable when it became part of the famous Savoy Cocktail book in 1930.
The drink combines three alcoholic ingredients in equal measures, two of which are high-proof. Here's the recipe and everything else you need to know about the Angel Face Cocktail:
In its original version, the Angel Face is a three-ingredient cocktail. It consists of equal parts gin, Calvados, and apricot brandy. Modern takes on the drink often dilute this boozy mix with a bit of water or even apple juice.
The ideal apricot brandy of the Angel Face Cocktail is fruity, actually made from apricots, and has a moderate ABV. As mentioned above, we like to use Giffard Abricot Du Roussillon Liqueur. It's top quality, and we love that it is both made with brandy and apricots. -Neither is a legal requirement.
Merlet Lune and De Kuyper XO Apricot Brandy are also among the favorites. Both work beautifully. - Merlet Lune Apricot Brandy is a little more expensive than Giffard, and De Kuyper is more affordable and a superb budget option.
By the way, in the US, the base spirit must be distilled from grapes, and the final product must have an alcohol content of at least 35%. As you may have noticed, all our top picks are below 35% ABV, because it balances the taste of the Angel Face Cocktail better.
The Angel Face Cocktail tastes neither overly sweet nor does it tend heavily toward dry or acidic. It is nicely balanced, aromatic, and fruity.
You can taste the apricot and the apple from the Calvados and the apricot liqueur, but you also get some subtle herbal notes from the gin.
With an overall ABV of almost 30%, the Angel Face is quite a boozy drink and can handle a bit of dilution quite well. -Either from shaking or adding cold water. Alternatively, you can also use a splash of chilled apple juice to emphasize the fruity notes. That makes the cocktail a little sweeter and more fruity.
We like to garnish our Angel Face Cocktail with a combination of maraschino cherries and apples because both complement the overall taste of the drink extremely well.
However, there's no standard garnish given in the original Angel Face Recipe. You can also serve it minimalistic without any garnish at all.
If you go with our approach, it's a slice of a freshly cut apple or even an apple fan and a maraschino cherry speared on a pick. Another common option for the Angel Face would be an orange peel.
The Angel Face Cocktail made its first appearance in Harry Craddock's famous Savoy Cocktail book, published in 1930. The book comprises about 750 cocktail recipes. -It goes without saying Craddock himself created only a small number of these, and it seems the Angel Face was not one of them.
Most likely, the fruity cocktail had its origin in France, where Calvados was readily available. Some even suggest that another Harry, namely Harry MacElhone, invented the drink. It supposedly was in Paris, along with other classics like the Bloody Mary, the Boulevardier, etc.
Anyway, Harry Craddock was the first to write down the recipe and asked for equal parts gin, Calvados, and apricot brandy. They ought to be shaken well and strained into a cocktail glass.
Yet, over the years, a different approach developed: Instead of shaking the cocktail, many prefer to prefer it stirred. -And so do we.
The name Angel Face supposedly references an American gangster from the pre-prohibition area. The guy went under the name of Abe “Angel Face” Kaminsky.
He was a member of the notorious Prohibition-era Purple Gang. Among other serious crimes, including assault and murder, they were known for armed robbery of speakeasy bars in and around Detroit. They made headlines around the time the Angel Face recipe came up for their involvement with the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929 with their partner, Al Capone.
However, that is only a theory. Nothing is documented or proven in that regard.
If you want to try other cocktails with apricot brandy or an apple flavor how about:
Like most popular Shochu cocktails, the Shochu Apple Sour is a regular serve in Izakaya restaurants in Japan. It tastes fruity, tangy, sweet, and refreshing with a delicate apple note.
Quick Facts Shochu Apple Sour Cocktail
In Japan, this combination of apple and Shochu is so popular that it's available in cans. These ready-to-drink Shochu cocktails contain 16% alcohol and are available in many supermarkets.
Yet, freshly made drinks will always beat a pre-mixed sip. So, here's how to make a Shochu Apple Sour cocktail at home.
For making the Shochu Apple Sour cocktail, you need Shochu (Imo or Mugi) and freshly pressed apple juice. Further, to create a bit of complexity, citrus juice and honey syrup mix are added. Here's the full list of ingredients:
PRO TIP: Use large, clear ice cubes for your drink. They will melt slower and chill your cocktail more effectively.
In this Shochu Apple Sour, it's important not to overpower the delicate notes of an apple. Therefore, you should choose a type that complements these flavors without being too intense.
My favorite option is a light Imo Shochu. This type is made from sweet potatoes, is quite aromatic but not too intense, and is commonly viewed as the best type of Shochu. It is also relatively sweet, complementing the sweet taste of freshly pressed apple juice.
If you prefer a less aromatic base spirit, pick a Mugi Shochu (based on barley). Mugi is also a little sweet but more subtle. It's comparable to a slightly sweet Vodka.
For Imo, we like to use Kurokirishima or the blue bottle from Daikai Sake Brewery. Both have 25% ABV but are hard to get outside Asia. Luckily, Mugi Shochu is easier to get. Here, we recommend the product of Mizu Shochu (35% ABV) for the Shochu Apple Sour Cocktail.
Shochu is fantastic in mixed drinks, and usually, Shochu Cocktails are easy to make. So, why don't you try some other recipes:
You can find more inspiration and recipes for Shochu cocktails in our article on the best Shochu Cocktails.
You most likely know Sake, the Japanese rice wine. Although the fermented wine is much more famous outside of the country, in Japan, Shochu is the most popular alcoholic beverage.
Shochu is a distilled spirit that can be made from a variety of ingredients. Further, depending on production style, it's categorized as traditional Honkaku Shochu or as (more modern) Kourui Shochu.
The base ingredient is of utmost importance. Thus, Shochu is divided into subtypes based on the components and region. The most common are:
Most likely, the last time you saw an Appletini on your favorite bar's menu was a while ago. What once was an ultra-hyped cocktail is now deemed quite uncool. But when you look 25 years back, this green drink dominated clubs and bars.
This cocktail is so easy to drink that it was taken off bar menus because things went out of control.
Our Appletini recipe calls for two main components: vodka and sour apple liqueur in a ratio of 2:1. Here is the entire shopping list, including our recommendations:
With a drink that is served straight up, all components, including the glass, should be chilled. That means you should put the glass into a freezer for at least 15 minutes before preparing the drink.
If no freezer is in sight, add ice cubes to the glass before mixing and discard them again before pouring the Appletini.
Also, shake for about 10 seconds to ensure all ingredients are well-blended and ice-cold when serving the cocktail.
Schnapps is a distilled spirit usually sweetened with a fruity syrup, mainly known and sold in North America. Most of these schnapps fruit liqueurs in the US contain between 10% and 20% of alcohol.
DeKuyper Pucker Sour Apple Schnapps has an intense taste of sweet and sour apples, the sugar content is estimated at 5g per ounce (the brand doesn't give numbers), and it has 15% ABV.
Note: Don't confuse these flavored schnapps liqueurs with Schnaps you get in Europe, especially Germany. It's typically a clear high-proof distillate, often based on fruit one would drink in a shot.
The most simplistic variation of the Appletini only asks for two ingredients. It is a mix of two parts vodka and one part apple. For said apple part, you can use anything. -From apple juice to cider and the DeKuyper Pucker sour apple schnapps.
Over time countless more variations on the classic recipes appeared. For example, you can enhance the base recipe with additional ingredients:
The history of the Appletini starts in 1996 at Lola's Restaurant in West Hollywood (closed since 2013). When a Ketel One sales representative approached owner and manager Loren Dunsworth, she asked one of her barkeepers to get creative with it.
Bartender Adam Karston mixed up a pretty simple drink. He came up with a twist on a classic Martini, made of equal parts Vodka and DeKuyper Pucker sour apple schnapps, he rounded it off by adding a splash of a sweet-and-sour mix.
The initial name of his creation was "Adams Apple Martini", a wordplay referring to its inventor's first name. Little did he know he had invented one of the most famous drinks of the late 90s and early 2000s.
What happened next is hard to believe. The new drink on the menu became tremendously successful.
The cocktail was an instant crowd favorite at Lola's. More than once, people became unintentionally excessively drunk because this sweet and sour creation does an excellent job of hiding the alcohol.
In fact, at one point, the bar had to take it off the menu. Because people could not taste how much alcohol was in it, they started to drink way more than they should have.
However, taking it off the menu didn't stop the popularity of the Appletini. Soon, the cocktail was a crowd favorite all over the United States.
But this overly easy-to-drink trait also led to the fact that the green apple cocktail never was seen as a "cool" drink. Instead, the Appletini often is an expression of unmanliness in movies and series.
Two of the most popular TV shows in the 2000s, Scrubs and Two and a Half Men prominently featured the Appletini. J.D. played by Zack Braff (Scrubs), named it his favorite cocktail, and so did Alan Harper, played by Jon Cryer.
Not only in these two shows but almost always when this sour Apple Martini comes up, it is accompanied by a feminine touch and deemed girly.
The reasons why the cocktail is regarded as feminine and girly are simple. Through the sweet and sour apple taste, you can hardly taste the alcohol.
It's easy to drink and indeed ordered more frequently by women because their tastebuds are more sensitive to certain bitter flavors.
Nevertheless, in reality, many men also -some openly, others more discreetly- loved and continue to love the Apple Martini.
Over time, though, just as with other unbalanced cocktail recipes, the Appletini evolved, and today, you can find many different recipes. -Some are far from being considered girly.
However, using fresh ingredients and a better balance between sweet and sour creates a more refined version of an Appletini. -For instance, applying the Absinthe rinse to the Martini twist makes it already more complex.
There are many more popular twists on the classic Martini that you should try, for instance:
If you want to try something else but stick to vodka as a base, here's a list of our favorite Vodka cocktails.
Snow falling from the sky, cozy fireplaces, and hot drinks. Each year, the festive season offers a lot to look forward to. But if you want to enjoy a boozy hot cocktail, there is not exactly a large number of attractive choices. To add some variety to your hit list of winter drinks, I have a recipe that will get you warmed up. A delicious, steaming hot Gin cocktail.
But this delicious Gin recipe won't only warm you up on cold winter days. It is so much fun that it hopefully also lifts your mood during the dark season. The name of this drink is “Heißer Kirmes Apfel” which literally translates from German to “hot funfair apple”. It brings together the earthy, sweet aroma of woodruff with citrus and apple in a hot, warming cocktail.
Not everybody is a fan of mulled wine which is why Glühgin is trending for the past couple of years. For all non-Germans: this is a kind of mulled wine but based on Gin instead. It is gaining popularity and inspires many new cocktail recipes based on warmed-up Gin. The recipe I have for you is not exactly a Glühgin, but it picks up the trend.
The base of the cocktail is Elixier Gin. This Gin has a very distinct and pretty strong woodruff taste. And that makes this drink so unique. The mix of woodruff and apple is a real treat. If you aren't familiar with Elixier Gin, you can find some more information in my Elixier Gin article.
On a side note: In Germany, hot alcoholic drinks like this one are very traditional during winter. You can also find delicious mulled wine or Glögg made of exquisite red or white wine at every Christmas Market.
And if you are into the taste of mulled wine, I also have a special Christmas rum cocktail recipe for you. It contains my Christmas syrup which technically bases on mulled wine.