Caramel Apple Cider Martini

Apple Cider Martini: The perfect fall cocktail, a caramel apple in a glass, but better. Use caramel vodka, or make your own.

Jump to:

• Apple Cider
• Caramel Vodka
• How To Make Caramel Vodka
• Sparkling Water
• Garnish
• Recipe
• More Drink Recipe Inspiration

We have some really big fresh apple cider fans in our house.  This time of year we always have some apple cider  around. I got thinking the other day about using it to create different apple cider drinks and cocktail recipes that capture the flavors of fall.   If you're looking for some fall cocktails to try, you will love this caramel apple martini.  It's the perfect cocktail for enjoying the fall flavors.

Apple Cider

The first thing you need for a delicious apple cider cocktail is fresh apple cider.  We used regular non alcoholic apple cider for this recipe, not hard cider.  Look for fresh cider it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store or look for local cider at the farmer's market in the fall.  What's the difference between apple cider and apple juice?  Apple cider is considered a seasonal drink, it has a dark caramel color, and it's unfiltered and perishable if not refrigerated.  Apple juice is lighter and more transparent in color, it's filtered and pasteurized to give it a longer shelf life.  It's also sweeter and has a smoother taste.  Use apple cider in this drink.  It's full of apple flavor, and it pairs perfectly with the caramel vodka, and makes a perfect caramel apple cider martini that isn't overly sweet.

You could also use homemade apple cider in this recipe, as long as it isn't too sweet, since the caramel vodka is also sweet

Caramel Vodka

I was in the liquor store the other day and saw some caramel vodka, and starting thinking caramel apple. I thought that apple cider and caramel vodka would be a match made in heaven.  Unfortunately the caramel vodka was only available in a very large bottle, so I came home and made my own version with regular vodka. 

I found several variations of recipes, but the general gist of it is caramel candies, and vodka.

Some people add the candies to the vodka and shake for days, others add them and then put the sealed mixture through a dishwasher cycle to heat it all just enough to help the candies melt. Other methods combine caramel sauce with vodka.  I decided to chop the candies up in a blender and add try the add and shake method for our apple cider martini recipe.

I used 6 oz. of vodka and nine candies. After only an hour or so, with a few shakes when I thought of it, my caramel vodka was ready.

How To Make Caramel Vodka

• 6 oz vodka
• 9 Werther's Original hard caramels

To make the caramel vodka, chop them in a blender or food processor and then add them to a mason jar with the vodka, and put the lid on.  Let the jar sit, and give it a shake every 10 minutes or so until the candies are completely dissolved.

The finished caramel flavored vodka is sweet and scented.  It has the taste of vanilla, and the deep burnt sugar flavors of caramel, which give it depth.  It's perfect for using in any fall cocktails for fun drink.

You can make your own caramel vodka in this recipe, or buy your caramel vodka and skip this step all together.

Sparkling Water

We've finished our fall drink with sparkling water to make a sparkling apple cider martini.  I love the fizz it adds to the martini, and it's the perfect amount to lighten up the other ingredients too.

Garnish

Serve your caramel apple martini in a martini glass.  We garnished ours with a few slices of fresh apple.  You could also add a cinnamon stick to your serving glass, or a pinch of cinnamon to garnish.  Because the drink itself is sweet we didn't choose to rim our glass with cinnamon sugar, caramel syrup, because we didn't want to add any sweetness.

My husband and I had an enjoyable evening of working on the recipe together, and I think it's just the thing for a Friday night if your looking for a seasonal flavor to enjoy this time of year.  It's a sweet drink, and makes a perfect dessert drink after dinner.  If you're a fan of caramel apples I think you will love this drink recipe made with simple ingredients.  This new favorite might become our signature cocktail this autumn season.  It's the perfect drink for enjoying during a fall party or for the holiday season.

Recipe

Hope you enjoy! With a sweet fall cocktail like this, life really is a party!

More Drink Recipe Inspiration

You might also like our Peach Sangria recipe here.

Also check out our Blackberry Sparklers recipe here.

You might also enjoy our Grown Up Lemonade Stand here.