Thanks to their impressive presentation and gorgeous green hue, Apple Martinis are elegant and striking enough for your upscale cocktail party while being simple and approachable enough for any time. You only need four ingredients and five minutes to enjoy the refreshing, fruit-forward drink.
Also known as an appletini and sour apple martini, this fall cocktail is the perfect refreshment for happy hours and autumnal get-togethers, but its classic flavors always stay in style. Experiment with different flavors and try making caramel apple martinis and more! For more martini recipes, check out my pomegranate martini, espresso martini, and french martini.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Sour Apple Liquor — this star ingredient adds the signature tart, green apple flavor to the cocktail. A few varieties of sour apple liquors include cordials, liqueurs, and schnapps. Liquors like schnapps tend to be dryer and unsweetened, whereas sour apple liqueurs and cordial (like Sour Apple Pucker) are sweeter. Choose your variety based on your taste preference.
Vodka — for the best drinking experience, choose a smooth, balanced vodka. It doesn’t need to be top shelf, but avoid vodka with a sharp finish or acetone aroma, which will conflict with the apple liquor’s fresh and fruity notes.
Lemon Juice — freshly squeezed juice is the best, giving this cocktail extra pucker and enhancing the sour apple liquor.
Apple Slices — for garnish, choose crisp, sour apples such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Slice them thin and skewer them with a cocktail pick before garnishing.
How To Make An Apple Martini
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes.
2. Add the vodka.
3. Pour in the sour apple liquor and lemon juice.
4. Shake well for 10 to 20 seconds until the shaker is frosty and the drink is well chilled.
5. Strain the drink into a chilled martini glass or coupe glass.
6. Garnish with thinly sliced apples and serve.
Sour Apple Liquor Versus Apple Schnapps
A sour apple liquor is typically a liquor that has been flavored to taste like tart apples and can be sweetened or unsweetened, depending on the brand. If it’s labeled as “sour apple liqueur,” you can expect it to be sweetened.
Schnapps is typically a clear liquor that is distilled from fruit and is unsweetened. Sour apple schnapps have a sour apple flavor and can often feature a light green hue, making the signature green apple martini. If you use schnapps but want your cocktail sweeter, you can add simple syrup.
Chill Your Martini Glasses
Chilling glassware is an essential step in keeping shaken cocktails chilled while drinking them. To chill glasses, place them in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Or, fill the glasses with crushed ice and let them sit for 5 minutes, then empty out the glasses before pouring in the cocktail.
Recipe Variations
- Use a flavored vodka. You can use caramel vodka, apple vodka (such as Smirnoff green apple), vanilla vodka, or lemon vodka to add more flavor to the cocktail.
- Try other liquors. Substituting apple brandy (known as calvados) or applejack results in a less sour cocktail. Try a caramel apple martini using butterscotch schnapps instead of vodka and adding a splash of triple sec or Cointreau.
- Rim the glass. To rim the glass with sugar, dip the rim into a shallow dish of vodka, lemon juice, or water. Immediately dip the rim in cinnamon sugar or cane sugar until covered. You can also dip or drizzle the rim of the glass with caramel sauce.
- Make it less boozy. Add up to 1 ounce of apple juice or fresh apple cider before shaking for a less boozy sipper full of apple flavor.
- Swap the lemon juice. For added sweetness, sour mix can be used instead of lemon juice. You can also make your own sour mix by mixing 1 part lemon juice with 1 part simple syrup. You can also use lime juice.
- Garnish with cherries. For added color contrast and a pop of sweetness, you can garnish with a maraschino or a Luxardo cherry dropped into the bottom of the glass.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Make the drinks to serve. These cocktails are best when freshly shaken and chilled, so serve them and enjoy them immediately.
- Measure accurately. For the most balanced flavor, measure the ingredients correctly. The easiest way to measure cocktail ingredients is by using a jigger. These come with most cocktail sets and are available at liquor stores. They feature two sides measuring different volumes of liquid. The large side holds 1½ ounces, and the smaller holds ¾ ounces. If you don’t have a jigger, you can substitute a shot glass, which usually holds 1½ ounces, or a tablespoon, which holds ½ ounce.
- Strain the cocktail. For the proper dilution, strain the ice out of the cocktail before pouring. If left in any longer than the shaking period, the ice will melt too much, affecting the balance and flavors of the drink.
- Keep the apple slices from browning. Exposure to air causes the apple slices to brown. Prevent this by brushing them with lemon juice before garnishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best vodka to use is a good drinking vodka you enjoy. Premium vodkas like Grey Goose, Belvedere, and Tito’s are my favorite brands.
No, you do not. Instead of a shaker, you can use a glass jar with a lid, such as a mason jar. Just strain the shaken drink through a fine mesh or cocktail strainer before serving.
Yes, make a large batch of this appletini recipe for parties or get-togethers by multiplying the vodka, sour apple liquor, and lemon juice by the desired number of servings. Mix them in a glass pitcher or large jar until combined, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Shake individual 3-ounce portions of the cocktail mixture with ice as directed before serving.
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If you’ve tried this Apple Martini recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Apple Martini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces vodka
- 1 ounce sour apple liquor
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- Apple slices for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add the vodka, sour apple liquor and lemon juice. Shake well for 10 to 20 seconds, until the drink is icy and well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass such as a martini or coupe glass. Garnish with thinly sliced apples.
Notes
- Make the drinks to serve. These cocktails are best when freshly shaken and chilled, so serve them and enjoy them immediately.
- Measure accurately. For the most balanced flavor, measure the ingredients correctly. The easiest way to measure cocktail ingredients is by using a jigger. These come with most cocktail sets and are available at liquor stores. They feature two sides measuring different volumes of liquid. The large side holds 1½ ounces, and the smaller holds ¾ ounces. If you don’t have a jigger, you can substitute a shot glass, which usually holds 1½ ounces, or a tablespoon, which holds ½ ounce.
- Strain the cocktail. For the proper dilution, strain the ice out of the cocktail before pouring. If left in any longer than the shaking period, the ice will melt too much, affecting the balance and flavors of the drink.
- Keep the apple slices from browning. Exposure to air causes the apple slices to brown. Prevent this by brushing them with lemon juice before garnishing.
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