Apple Cider Cocktail

Published 11/28/2020 • Updated 7/18/2023

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Get festive with your holiday drinks and make our Apple Cider Cocktail! It’s made with apple cider, rye whisky, fresh orange juice, and a dash a bitters.

Don’t forget about the garnish. We used fresh rosemary in this Apple Cider Cocktail recipe for the cherry on top.

Holiday Cocktail Love

There’s nothing better than a stiff drink over the holidays. Two of my favorite are a Hot Toddy and our Rosemary Vodka Collins recipe.

I love this Apple Cider Cocktail because it’s sweet with a touch of sour. Oh, and so easy to make!

This cocktail recipe is great to whip up for 1 or 2 people or for a crowd. We’ll teach you how to make both!

What You Need for an Apple Cider Cocktail

rye whiskey – you can also use bourbon!
apple cider – feel free to make your own (try our Instant Pot Apple Cider) or buy some at the store.
fresh orange juice – you can squeeze your own juice from oranges or use pre-squeeze orange juice.
sugar – all you need is a pinch.
rosemary – rosemary is such a fun herb flavor addition to this recipe! Don’t skip it. Plus, it’s pretty.
bitters – sweet + sour = love.
ice – ice is used to make this cocktail cold, however, it is NOT served over ice.

Large Batch Apple Cider Cocktail

Looking to serve a crowd? You can totally whip up a large batch of this Apple Cider Cocktail. If you want to get fancy, you can even serve it in a punch bowl with ice, fresh rosemary, and orange slices.

Here’s how to serve 8:

16-oz. rye whiskey (2 cups)
12-oz. apple cider (1.5 cups)
4 oz. fresh orange juice (1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
8 sprig fresh rosemary
20 dashes bitters
4 cups ice

Place ice into a large pitcher. Then, add the rest of the ingredients into the pitcher and use a long spoon to mix. Serve immediately.