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Creating the Perfect Hard Cider Cocktail

It’s essential to enjoy the fall while it’s here, especially if you live somewhere that will be buried under snow in a couple of months. Now is the perfect time to enjoy a hard cider, with the crisp and cold weather that pairs perfectly with a little bite.

Whether you prefer warm or cold, there are plenty of options for a delicious ready-made cider on a chilly orange November evening. However, if you’re looking for something fun, you can create your cider cocktail with an apple-flavored whiskey, butterscotch, or apple vodka. You may even find your new go-to drink for these biting fall months.

The Apple Pie

Combining all the delicious flavors of fall, this cocktail is the perfect cool drink for an autumn night.

Ingredients:

  • 1-ounce vanilla vodka
  • ¾ ounce apple cider
  • ¾ ounce cinnamon whiskey
  • ½ ounce lemon juice
  • Hard cider
  • Cinnamon stick garnish

Add the vanilla vodka, cinnamon whiskey, apple cider, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Then, strain the mix into a rocks glass over ice, and top off the rest with hard cider. Add the cinnamon stick garnish.

Spiced Hard Cider

A simple recipe allows you to give your favorite hard cider an extra bite, complementing the flavors and making the drink a little extra special.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ ounce spiced rum
  • ½ ounce lime juice
  • ¼ ounce syrup
  • Hard cider
  • Cinnamon stick garnish

Combine the spiced rum, syrup, and lime juice into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Add an optional garnish of a cinnamon stick. Strain over a glass of ice and top off the remainder of the tumbler with your favorite brand of hard cider.

Sparkling Hard Apple Cider Sangria

Perfect to make for yourself or have the pitcher on hand for a seasonal gathering; this cocktail is a sweet and refreshing drink for autumn.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brandy
  • Five 12-ounce bottles of hard cider
  • 2-3 ounces of orange juice
  • 2 ounces of lemon juice
  • One apple, diced
  • One orange, sliced
  • Two cinnamon sticks, additional for garnish

Place the cut fruit into a large pitcher, and then add the brandy, cinnamon sticks, lemon, and orange juice. Mix, and chill the mixture, giving the cinnamon about half an hour to flavor the brandy. Add the apple cider, stir before serving, and garnish glasses with a cinnamon stick.

Hard Cider Mule

An autumn spin on a classic drink, this refreshing cocktail could be the perfect drink tonight.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces of apple vodka
  • 1 ½ ounces ginger beer
  • ½ ounce lime juice
  • Hard cider
  • Mint sprig and lime for garnish

In a tumbler or copper mug, combine vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer over ice, and then top off with your favorite hard cider. Stir the mixture, and garnish with a slice of lime and mint sprig, if you want.

Pick up all the ingredients you need to make the perfect cocktail at your local Payless Liquors.