Let’s make this delicious Apple Cider Margarita to welcome fall
Margarita enthusiasts will relate: There is a perfect margarita recipe for any time of the year.
Right now, that time is apple harvest season.
I still vividly remember the times when around town many would make their own apple juice and apple cider from freshly harvested apples. There was that particular scent of pressed apples lingering in the air that had you longing for a big glass of freshly squeezed apple juice right then and there.
Sadly, homemade fresh apple juice and apple cider is largely a thing of the past. Thankfully, though, you can still buy fresh apple cider at local farmers markets, and a lot of the local grocery stores will also sell fresh apple cider at this time of the year.
While I have never been much into cider, I have always made the one exception: Mixing up unique cocktails with fresh apple cider.
This fall, switch up your usual margarita recipe adding the warm autumnal flavours of tart, fresh apples.
What is Hard Apple Cider
Hard apple cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple juice. To create the alcohol content, fresh apple juice is filled into a tank or barrel and yeast will be added to turn the sugar into alcohol. Depending on the sugar content the fermentation process will take between two to four weeks after which the apple juice will have turned into a slightly fizzy apple cider.
After fermentation, the cider might be passed through a filter to remove the yeast, which results in a clarified, crisp cider. However, this is not a necessary step, and some ciders are made without filtering. Without removing the yeast, the final product will be cloudy and, unsurprisingly taste yeastier.
The alcohol level of hard apple cider typically ranges from 4.5% to 7% although the drier the cider, the higher the alcohol content, which can reach up to 10% to 12% ABV.
Hard apple cider has a taste similar to slightly sweet sparkling apple juice and is best consumed slightly chilled.
The drink is called ‘hard’ cider to distinguish it from non-alcoholic apple cider.
How To Make A Perfect Apple Cider Margarita
This Apple Cider Margarita is a tried and tested favourite over here. It’s made with hard apple cider, tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice is the perfect combination of sweet and tart.
To make this the perfect fall cocktail, you should use fresh apple cider when in season. If you can’t find freshly made apple cider, a good quality store bought hard apple cider will also work fine.
The apple cider margarita is mixed up in few minutes, and you can make this by the glass or mix up a whole pitcher for your next fall party. Just multiple the below recipe by how many servings you intend to make.
For one glass of apple cider margarita, you need:
45 ml reposado tequila
20 ml orange liqueur
60 ml apple cider
20 ml lime juice
sugar and ground cinnamon for riming the glass
1 apple slice
1 cinnamon stick
In a small bowl, mix sugar and ground cinnamon. Dip the rim of the glass in a shallow bowl filled with water, then dip into the sugar-cinnamon mix. Turn the glass to coat well, then set aside.
Add tequila, orange liqueur, apple cider, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled (about 15-20 seconds).
Fill the rimed cocktail class with ice. Carefully pour over the margarita. Garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.
Do you have a favourite drink mixing hard apple cider? Let me know in the comments below.
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