Apple Cider Mocktail

This delicious Apple Cider Mocktail tastes like apple pie in a cup! It’s the perfect non-alcoholic drink for those cozy fall months. If you need a beverage to embrace the fall season, this is just the thing!

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About this Apple Cider Mocktail recipe

This is apple cider mocktail is so simple and has the most lovely flavor. Best of all, it doesn’t use zero-proof spirits, so there’s nothing extra fancy you need to find! All of the ingredients can be bought at your local grocery store.

I love this mocktail because of its gingery and apple-y taste — it’s all the happiness of an apple orchard in the fall. The lemon juice and maple give it balance, cutting through those warming spices and making a flavor that you just won’t forget!

Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m always looking for ways to ensure there are tasty drinks for everyone. Whether you’ve got some designated drivers to serve, or others who just prefer not to drink alcohol, you can serve them more than just sodas!

Whether it’s this apple cider mocktail, a ginger apple pomegranate sparkling mocktail, or a shirley temple drink, there are plenty of drinks to choose from. You’re gonna love this delicious mocktail!

More fall recipes: Pumpkin Spice Mule • Thanksgiving Sangria • Pumpkin Spice Old-Fashioned Cocktail

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This amazing drink is so easy to love. Mix it up whenever you need something simple to sip on:

• This apple cider mocktail is perfect for fall parties and tailgates. Make it for all of your fall-inspired fun!
• Make this quick, non-alcoholic cocktail in just 5 minutes. Then you can spend more time enjoying it instead of mixing together drinks at the bar cart.
• The flavors in this apple cider mocktail are second to none. Seriously, they are truly out-of-this-world yummy.

Tools & glassware 

To make this easy simple drink, you’ll need a few basic bar tools. You don’t need a cocktail shaker, but you do need a jigger and bar spoon to stir everything together. Make sure you’ve got two plates and rocks glasses as well. That’s pretty much all that you need!

Ingredients

These simple ingredients are all that you need to make this festive drink:

• cinnamon sugar: This apple cider spice mix is a delightful mixture to use on the rim of the glass in place of simple cinnamon sugar!
• apple cider: You can use both homemade apple cider and store-bought cider. I love homemade cider, but saving time with store-bought works as well. Apple juice can also work.
• lemon juice: Fresh is best, you guys!
• maple syrup: Don’t have maple syrup on hand? You can use simple syrup instead. A flavored syrup like spiced apple simple syrup or brown sugar simple syrup would work too.
• ginger beer: Ginger ale is a great substitution for ginger beer! Either will work, you just need the spicy ginger flavor and crisp bubbles. If you’re not sure what kind of ginger beer to use, check out my post about the best ginger beer.
• garnishes: You can use whatever works! I used a cinnamon stick, a sprig of rosemary, a star anise and a slice of apple. You do you!

Substitutions & variations

Add bitters. A few drops of bitters can add a ton of flavor to a drink, but they do contain trace amounts of alcohol. If you prefer a totally boozeless drink, use non-alcoholic bitters like these Barrel Aged New Orleans Bitters from All the Bitter.

Make it a cocktail! Turn this into a boozy cocktail with a splash of bourbon, rum, caramel vodka or whiskey. It’s an amazing mocktail, but would also be great as a cocktail!

Instructions

Follow these step-by-step instructions to make the best apple cider mocktail in just a few minutes:

Pour cinnamon sugar onto a plate, and then add a little bit of maple syrup to another. Dip just the outer edge of each cocktail glass in the syrup, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar to coat the rim.

Then fill the glass with ice and add the apple cider over top.

Then add the lemon juice and maple syrup next — we’re almost done!

Finally, top with ginger beer and give the mocktail a nice stir. Finish it off with a cinnamon stick, a piece of apple, a sprig of rosemary and/or a piece of star anise.

Tips & tricks

For the best results and most amazing flavor, follow these few simple tips:

• Always use fresh lemon juice! The bottled stuff truly just isn’t as good as freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• A spicy ginger beer always produces the best flavor combo. Make sure it’s chilled before you add it to the apple cider mocktail. And be sure to add it just before serving so that the bubbles are crisp.
• Use 100% real maple syrup to make the sugared rims and the mocktail mixture. It tastes way better than the fake stuff!

Food pairings

Pair this fall-inspired beverage with many of your favorite foods! During cocktail hour, it’d be perfect paired with a charcuterie board or bacon fig and goat cheese crostini. It’s also so yummy with chai muffins and pumpkin muffins.

You can also serve it with seasonal favorites like cranberry brie bites and baked brie with honey.

FAQ

More apple cider recipes

• Apple Cider Margarita
• Apple Cider Sangria
• Spiced Apple Cider Rum Punch
• Apple Cider Mimosas