Indulge in the refreshing delight of an Apple Cider Spritz cocktail, blending crisp apple cider with sparkling prosecco and a hint of citrus for a tantalizing fall sip. Garnish with a twist of orange peel and a cinnamon stick for a seasonal twist that elevates your cocktail hour.
Refreshing Apple Cider Spritzes
A spritz is one of my favorite drinks. It’s light, it’s bubbly, and it’s so refreshing. And this Apple Cider Aperol Spritz is no different and takes on the perfect fall flare as we begin to experience cooler weather.
This is such an easy recipe and fun that gets amazing flavors of the apple cider mixed with a little bubbly for the perfect balance of fall flavors and holiday vibes.
Serve your festive cocktail as an aperitif at your Thanksgiving dinner or as a fun drink for you next fall happy hour.
Looking for more spritz recipes? Also try this popular summer Limoncello Spritz or this Rosé Aperol Spritz. Or if you want another drink for the holiday season, try this Thanksgiving Sangria or this Crown Apple Slush.
FEATURED COMMENT
Recipe Ingredients
- Bubbly – I used a dry champagne.
- Aperol – The key ingredient for a spritz, found at any local liquor store.
- Cider – The star of the show! This will replace the tonic water found in a traditional Spritz.
- Orange Extract – brings out the citrus & aperol pairing.
- Cinnamon – A little bit of warm spices make this the ultimate fall cocktail.
- Garnish – I garnished with fresh apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Want it more boozy? Use hard apple cider instead of regular.
- For the bubbles you can use any sparkling beverage. I used prosecco , but champagne or any sparkling wine (rosé or white wine) works, too! You could also make it lighter with a splash of club soda, instead.
- The orange extract makes this cocktail very smooth and flavor enriching. A classic aperol spritz highlights orange flavors. Because of the unique twist this cocktail takes being apple cider based, the extract pulls in that missing piece. Feel free to omit it though or replace with vanilla extract.
How to Make an Apple Cider Spritz
1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour aperol, apple cider, orange extract, and ground cinnamon into the shaker.
2. Shake until the ground cinnamon is almost dissolved. Add more ice to each large wine glass and pour Aperol Cider into each.
3. Top with prosecco, a fresh apple slice, and a cinnamon stick/star of anise. Serve cold & enjoy!
PRO TIPS
This drink is a crowd pleaser! But I recommend making each drink individual as opposed to making it into a pitcher of cocktails because you’ll lose all of the bubbles.
Fun Idea
Did you know you can freeze champagne!!? Freezing your bubbly into ice cube molds is an ingenious hack. Your drink doesn’t get watered down and still keeps your drink chilled.
Recipe FAQs
With the bubbles in this cocktail, I don’t suggest making it in advance or attempting to store it. It only takes a few minutes to come together, though so no need to fret about a ton of prep when guests are over! And making it fresh is the best way to ensure your apple cider spritz stays perfectly bubbly.
Take your cocktail up a notch with the perfect garnishes. A classic aperol spritz is served with an orange wedge, which works for this cocktail, too but I think this spritz goes even better with apple slices or star anise. A sprinkle of cinnamon on top is lovely, too.
This cocktail is sweet enough on its own in my opinion, but if you like a sweeter drink, add simple syrup or maple syrup to your drink. Be sure to shake well in a cocktail shaker with the cider (but not any of the bubbly) so the sweetener is well incorporated.
A spritz is a fairly low alcohol content drink. We use champagne and aperol, but these are dilated with the cider (and plenty of ice of course), so one or two are manageable for most. Please drink responsibly!
Serving suggestions
Serve with a honey & cinnamon sugar rim, like on this Apple Pie Martini. Whip up some Bacon Wrapped Apples or these Honey Goat Cheese Balls and you’ve got the perfect fall twist on a pre-dinner drink and appetizer combo.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment in the recipe card below. Thanks for visiting!
Apple Cider Spritz
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- shot jigger
- wine glasses
Ingredients
- 6 oz Prosecco/Champagne, (3/4 cup)
- 2 oz Aperol, (1/4 cup)
- 4 oz Apple Cider, (1/2 cup)
- 1/4 tsp Orange Extract, or sub vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 cup Ice
- 4 slices Fresh Apple
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks or Star Anise
Instructions
- Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour aperol, apple cider, orange extract, and ground cinnamon into the shaker.
- Shake until the ground cinnamon is almost dissolved. Add more ice to each large wine glass and pour Aperol Cider into each.
- Top with prosecco/champagne, fresh apple slices, and a cinnamon stick/star of anise. Serve cold & enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
other recipes that are perfect for Thanksgiving…
- The Best Thanksgiving Sangria
- French Onion Potatoes
- Cranberry Jalapeno Salsa
- Parmesan Carrot Fries with Parmesan Aioli
- Thanksgiving Margarita
- Pear and Pecan Salad
- Cranberry Brie Bread Bowl
- Savory Mashed Potatoes
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Seasonal Harvest Salad
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Apple Cider Spritz calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
This recipe is delicious! I’m not a big spritz fan, but my fiance made these for us and they were yummy.
my apple cider obsession meets my aperol spritz obsession. I didnt know these too worlds could meet but WOW I AM OBSESSED
I LOVED these. I think apple cider is super sweet on it’s own so this was a great way to use some and still have a refreshing cocktail.