The Apple Cider Spritz Is Autumnal to Its Core

Almost every aspect of this apple cider spritz recipe is customizable. You can swap in all sorts of spirits and tweak the flavors of the syrup using whatever’s in your spice rack.

The only ingredient you absolutely need is cider, which gives the drink its autumnal warmth. While apple juice is filtered and often sweetened, cider is made from raw and unfiltered fresh-pressed apples. That’s why cider has darker colors and richer flavors than juice, and why you may see sediment on the bottom.

In most areas of the U.S., it’s easy to find apple cider during the fall months because it’s pressed during harvests. If you live in an area where cider is only fleetingly available, buy an extra jug or carton, pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to eight months.

Alternatively, you could use it to make an apple cider spritz immediately. The cocktail is a crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving aperitif or post-apple-picking refresher. Whether you’re toasting sweater weather, or simply trying to survive the season, it’s awfully nice to have something bright and bubbly in your glass.

A Versatile and Festive Fall Sipper

The apple cider spritz is a festive, three-ingredient cocktail that features a homemade spiced syrup, splash of liquor and bubbly soda water.

Many spirits complement apple cider. This cocktail calls for blended whiskey, but you could also use rum, Cognac or even tequila. For a lighter-tasting spritz, swap in vodka. Avoid gin, however, because its botanicals can fight with—rather than complement—the spiced syrup.

You can make a satisfying non-alcoholic apple cider spritz, too. Try a spirit-free white rum like Seedlip Spice 94.

But, Is It a Spritz or a Spritzer?

In the U.S., many people use the terms spritz and spritzer interchangeably, but they have different ingredients and compositions.

A spritzer is a two-ingredient cocktail made from three-parts wine plus one-part soda water. There are all sorts of global and regional variations on the theme, including the perennially popular White Wine Spritzer.

A spritz has at least three ingredients, one of which is traditionally an amaro. It gets its effervescence from sparkling wine, soda water or a combination of the two. The Aperol spritz is arguably the most famous spritz in the U.S.; other widely available iterations include the Lillet spritz and Hugo spritz.

Since the homemade syrup in this cocktail recipe isn’t an amaro, a traditionalist could argue that the apple cider spritz is technically a glorified apple cider spritzer. On the other hand, spritzes are inherently easy-drinking and effervescent, and this cocktail hits both criteria in spades. It’s a delicious debate.

What makes this bubbly brew even more appetizing is that it pairs well with anything you might serve during aperitif hour, including crunchy snacks like kettle corn and sweet or salty mixed nuts.

It’s also a tasty complement to cheese boards, especially if cheddar is involved. Cheese and apple combinations have long histories dating to 17th-century England. In many parts of the U.S., like Vermont, people are just as likely to pair apple pie with cheddar as with ice cream.

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The Apple Cider Spritz Recipe

Blended whiskey gives this cocktail a rich, warming flavor, but you can swap in bourbon, rye, dark rum, Cognac, tequila or a rum-like non-alcoholic spirit.

½ ounce spiced apple cider syrup (recipe follows)
1 ½ ounces blended whiskey
3 ounces sparkling water
Dehydrated apple slice or lemon wheel for garnish (optional)

Step 1

Combine apple cider syrup and whiskey in a highball or Collins glass and stir.

Step 2

Top with ice, then add sparkling water and garnish, if using.

Adding garnish to Apple Cider Spritz — Photography by Ali Redmond

Spiced Apple Cider Syrup Recipe

This yields approximately 3 ounces of syrup, enough for six cocktails. Leftover syrup is excellent on top of vanilla ice cream or swirled into yogurt or oatmeal.