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Apple Cider Martinis combine fresh apple cider with vodka, triple sec, and a splash of orange juice. Shake your martinis up with plenty of ice, and garnish them with some apple slices and a cinnamon stick for a picture-perfect presentation.

We also love these Chocolate Martinis for a more decadent holiday cocktail. Delicious and a must-make!

A Good Martini Recipe

You know it’s fall when fresh apple cider is in the grocery stores. That’s when you KNOW that the happiest season is upon us. Straight from my birthday month all the way to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my hubby’s birthday.

2020 has been the year of martinis in our home. I’ve tinkered around with various different concoctions, and I must say that this one tops them all. The perfect amount of strong, sweet, and just plain delicious. It’s a sipping cocktail, so instead of bottoms up, I’ll just say “CHEERS”!

Why this recipe works:

A SIMPLE RECIPE – Four main ingredients plus apple slices. You can make this cocktail in five minutes or so!
PERFECT FOR FALL – We use fresh apple cider for this cocktail. This is a main ingredient for several other cocktails we enjoy during this time of the year.
FRESH AND DELICIOUS – Using apple cider and orange juice in these drinks adds freshness. It’s truly delicious and a little bit strong. This is a sipper!

Overhead view of apple cider martinis and a plate of apples.

Ingredients Used:

Apple Cider – Buy the real cider found in the produce section of your store – not the bottled juice.
Vodka – I prefer to use Kettle One. Don’t buy cheap!
Cointreau (or Triple Sec) – Good quality matters.
Orange Juice – Just some bottled juice works fine, or you can freshly squeeze an orange.
Apple Slices – Thinly slice an apple, and then squeeze a half of a lemon over top, to prevent browning.
Cinnamon & Sugar, plus Cinnamon Sticks – For serving.

Four small jars of the ingredients for the martinis.

How to make the Best Apple Cider Martinis:

Step 1
Prep martini glasses. Take a lemon slice and run it around the rims of the martini glasses. Then dip glasses into a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Step 2
Slice apple. Thinly slice an apple and top with some fresh lemon juice (to prevent browning).

A glass turned upside down in a plate of cinnamon and sugar.

A plate of apples slices with a half lemon.

Step 3
Combine ingredients. Use a cocktail shaker, and combine all ingredients – the apple cider, vodka, cointreau, and orange juice. Add ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or so.

Step 4
Serve. Pour martinis into prepped glasses. Add some apple slices and a cinnamon stick.

Have extra apple cider? Try some delicious Apple Cider Margaritas next!

Snacks to serve with apple cider martinis:

Snacks are a very important part of our happy hour. Make sure you have a variety to choose from!

Other favorite fall cocktails for you to try next!

Cranberry Vodka Slush – These work all year long, but make sure you add sugared cranberries for Christmastime.
Apple Cider Sangria – A nice large-batch cocktail for all the parties.
Spicy Bloody Mary Cocktails – A version of my mom’s recipe, and delicious any time of day! (P.S. Guaranteed to cure a hangover.) 😀

Side view of two apple cider martinis with cinnamon sticks.

Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)

xoxo ~Sue