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Whether you’re looking for a cozy fall cocktail or want to switch up your usual margarita recipe, these apple cider margaritas are sure to fit the bill. Made with fresh apple cider, tequila, lime juice and orange liqueur, this cocktail is not too sweet and perfectly balanced between boozy and juicy. Plus, it features a salty (or sweet!) spiced rim. Whip up two cocktails at a time or mix up a large pitcher for get-togethers. Either way, these will be a hit!
One of the reasons this is such a hit with friends and family is that this apple cider cocktail feels very unique and festive, but it’s just as easy to make as a regular margarita!
To balance the added sweetness from the apple cider, I up the amount of tequila by half an ounce per cocktail. I also skip any additional sweetener (agave) and decrease the orange liqueur a touch.
Finally, I don’t recommend adding ground spices to the cocktail itself. They don’t mix in well and end up settling at the bottom of the drink—a big waste of good spices.
Instead, mix warm spices or apple pie spice blend into the salt or sugar for the rim of the glasses. This way, each sip has some warm spice flavor!
Ingredients Needed
- Apple Cider: for the best flavor, use fresh apple cider when it’s in season and easy to find. If you’re making this recipe outside of fall, it may be harder to find apple cider. In that case, seek out the highest quality, least-processed apple juice you can find. Use any leftover apple cider to make my Apple Cider Rum Cocktail!
- Tequila: I like to use tequila blanco in these apple cider margaritas. It’s clean and smooth in flavor and allows the apple cider to take center stage. Reposado tequila can be used for a deeper flavored cocktail, though you risk it over-powering the cider flavor.
- Fresh lime: fresh citrus juice is key to a good margarita! To get the most out of your limes, look for limes that have a smooth skin and are slightly soft when squeezed.
- Orange Liqueur: orange liqueur is a classic margarita ingredient. If you want the cocktail to be more citrus-forward, use Cointreau. For a drink that’s slightly cozier with a note of vanilla, use Grand Marnier.
What’s the Difference Between Apple Cider and Apple Juice?
Apple cider is a seasonal drink made from fresh pressed apples. To maintain the flavor, apple cider is unfiltered and generally unpasteurized. Because it’s unpasteurized, it doesn’t have a long shelf life, making it very seasonal to fall.
Apple juice is both filtered and pasteurized, giving it a much longer shelf life than apple cider. The filtration also tends to make it smoother and more sweet.
How to Make a Pitcher of Cider Margs
What better way to kick off a fall get-together than a pitcher of margs?! Pair with chips, guacamole and my Tomato Chipotle Salsa and the party is started! Here’s how to make a pitcher (8 servings) of these margaritas.
- In a large pitcher, combine 24 ounces apple cider, 16 ounces tequila, 8 ounces lime juice and 4 ounces orange liqueur.
- Add ½ cup ice and stir until completely dissolved.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Serve over ice in rocks glasses rimmed with spiced salt.
- Garnish with apple slices and enjoy.
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Apple Cider Margaritas (Single or Pitcher)
Description
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Ingredients
For 2 Cocktails
- 6 ounces apple cider
- 4 ounces tequila blanco
- 2 ounces fresh lime juice
- 1 ounces orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier
- Flaky sea salt (or sugar) and apple pie spice, for rim
For Pitcher of Cocktails (8 servings)
- 24 ounces (3 cups) apple cider
- 16 ounces (2 cups) tequila blanco
- 8 ounces (1 cup) lime juice
- 4 ounces (½ cup) orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
Instructions
Rim Glasses
- In a shallow bowl, mix together a bit of salt (or sugar) and a pinch of apple pie spice.
- Run a lime wedge around rims of glasses then dip in salt-spice mixture.
- Fill glasses with ice.
Two Apple Cider Margaritas
- Add 6 ounces apple cider, 4 ounces tequila, 2 ounces lime juice and 1 ounce orange liqueur to a shaker filled with ice.
- Secure lid and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled, about 15 seconds.
- Strain cocktail into two rocks glasses filled with ice.
- Garnish with apple slices and serve.
Pitcher of Margaritas
- In a large pitcher, combine 24 ounces apple cider, 16 ounces tequila, 8 ounces lime juice and 4 ounces orange liqueur.
- Add ½ cup ice and stir until completely dissolved.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Serve over ice in rocks glasses rimmed with spiced salt. Garnish with apple slices and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Can orange juice be used instead of orange liquer?
Absolutely! The cocktail will be less boozy and slightly more cloudy—but still delicious!
This was great for a group! The only addition I made was a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg in the pitcher but the proportions were all perfect, and my whole group loved it!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this! Great idea to add a pinch of spices.
I think this recipe is a fun starting point but it wasn’t quite right as written for me. After mixing I tinkered a bit with the proportions and, as another reviewer suggested, mixed in cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom to up the ante. I think next time I might adjust me tequila to orange liqueur ratio to bring forward a bit more flavor.
Can I use Triple Sec instead of the Grand Marinier?
Yes, definitely!