Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Shake up a perfectly chilled spiced apple cider mocktail at your next fall party! (It can easily be made into a cocktail, too.) This no-alcohol martini is festive and exciting.
How long it takes: Prep the cinnamon ginger simple syrup ahead; the cocktail can be made in less than 5 minutes.
Equipment you’ll need: cocktail shaker, ice, martini or stemmed glass
Servings: 1
What Is a Mocktail?
If you enjoy a good cocktail but don’t want the alcohol, mocktails are the answer to this dilemma. With the same elements of a cocktail (complex flavors, fancy glassware and garnishes, and mixology recipes) you won’t miss the spirits.
There are a few things to look for in a mocktail recipe. Does it have interesting ingredients with complex flavors? Were mixology techniques used in the preparation? Is it presented beautifully? Notice cocktail glasses, garnishes and embellishments.
A mocktail should have the same elements as a good cocktail, but without the alcohol.
Apple Cider Mocktail
Festive. I love this fun apple cider mocktail. It’s refreshing and easy to make, with notes of cinnamon and ginger to add complexity. And if you’re looking for a cocktail, go ahead and add vodka, rum, or bourbon.
Easy! This apple cider mocktail (or fake-tini) is super easy to make. You’ll want to prep the spice-infused simple syrup ahead of time so it’s chilled and ready to go. The mocktail takes about five seconds to make. (My sparkling rosemary apple cider mocktail is another easy mocktail recipe!)
Perfect for fall parties! Serve apple cider mocktails with homemade pumpkin bread and whipped cream cheese or gingerbread butter. Bowls of nuts like spiced pecans or cinnamon roasted almonds will disappear quickly. Homemade gingersnap cookies with white chocolate and cranberries are a good match, too. For a more savory appetizer, try roasted grape crostini with ricotta and honey, wild mushroom crostini with goat cheese, or butternut squash crostini with ricotta.
Ingredient Notes
I’ll get you started here with extra information about the ingredients.
- Apple Cider: If you live in the U.S., apple cider is unfiltered apple juice. It’s unfermented and contains no alcohol. Cider may or may not be pasteurized and is found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Do not confuse it with apple cider vinegar or hard apple cider which has alcohol.
- Cinnamon-ginger simple syrup: You’ll be making your own simple syrup (it’s super simple to make!). This spice-infused syrup adds complexity to the mocktail. It’s made of water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and ginger root.
- Cinnamon sugar: Make your own by mixing ¼ cup sugar with a tablespoon of cinnamon. Yup, it’s that easy! Use cinnamon sugar to rim the glass (optional). Use any extra cinnamon sugar to top your toast or pancakes in the morning!
- Garnishes: Add a thin slice of apple or a cinnamon stick for a garnish.
- Cocktail shaker, ice, stemmed glass
How To Make This Apple Cider Mocktail
Make the simple syrup. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan, along with a couple of cinnamon sticks and sliced fresh ginger root. Simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Cool and strain. Let the syrup cool with the cinnamon and ginger in it. It will infuse the syrup with so much flavor. After the syrup has cooled, strain out the cinnamon sticks and ginger. You’ll have plenty of cinnamon ginger simple syrup for several drinks.
Bartending Tip
Since this mocktail is chilled briefly in a cocktail shaker with ice but not served over ice, make sure your ingredients are well-chilled. Serve the drink in a stemmed glass so it isn’t warmed by body heat.Rim the glasses. Prepare your glasses by wetting the edge with cider and dipping them into cinnamon sugar. Thinly slice an apple for a garnish.
Combine ingredients. When you’re ready to serve the mocktails, add a couple of tablespoons (or to taste) of the simple syrup, apple cider and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously until the drink is chilled, and pour it into your prepared glass.
Recipe Variations
- Change the spices. You can add different spices to the simple syrup for a subtle variation in flavor. Mix and match cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger root, star anise, cloves, peppercorns, or a strip of orange zest. Be sure to use whole spices, not ground.
- Make it boozy. Add a shot of vodka, bourbon whiskey, or spiced rum. Cinnamon-flavored whiskey such as Fireball or Tennessee Fire can be added instead of the simple syrup.
- Warm it up! Instead of serving this mocktail chilled, gently heat the cider and simple syrup. Serve it in mugs (or try this mulled apple cider!).
- Try a salted caramel rimmer. Mix 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (such as Demerara) with 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Dip the rim of the glass in caramel sauce, and then into the sugar/salt mixture.
To get a head start on this recipe, prepare the simple syrup up to a week ahead. Pour it into a jar with a lid and store it in the refrigerator. Cinnamon sugar for the rims can be made anytime.
Make sure you have plenty of fresh ice on hand and your glasses are sparkling clean.
More Mocktail Recipes
Apple Cider Mocktail – non-alcoholic drink for fall
Ingredients
For Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 to 2 inches ginger root (peeled and thinly sliced)
For Mocktail:
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon-ginger simple syrup (chilled)
- 1 cup apple cider (chilled)
- ice for mixing
- cinnamon sugar (for rimming the glass)
- apple slice or cinnamon stick to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Make Simple Syrup:
- Simple syrup should be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
- Mix sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, and sliced ginger root in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until sugar is dissolved.1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 to 2 inches ginger root
- Let cool completely. When cool, strain to remove ginger and cinnamon sticks. Cover and chill until ready to use.
Make Mocktail:
- Pour cinnamon sugar into a shallow bowl or plate. Prepare martini glass by wetting the rim with apple cider and then dipping in cinnamon sugar.
- Add ice to martini shaker. Pour in cider and simple syrup (see note). Shake for 10 to 15 seconds.2 tablespoons cinnamon-ginger simple syrup, 1 cup apple cider
- Pour into prepared glass. Garnish with a very thin apple slice or a cinnamon stick.
Notes
- Adjust the sweetness. This is a fairly sweet drink with 2 tablespoons of simple syrup. If you prefer, reduce the amount of simple syrup you add to each mocktail.
- Make it a cocktail. Add 1 ounce vodka, bourbon, rum, or spiced rum to shaker.
- Without a shaker: If preferred, instead of using a shaker, serve the mocktail with ice in a short tumbler such as a rocks, low-ball, or old-fashioned glass. Garnish as desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Instead of ginger and cinnamon simple syrup, I did a ginger vanilla one. I made 8 cups worth of this in a pitcher and added some cinnamon sticks and star anise into the pitcher and let it sit for several hours. The recipe as written is very sweet, I ended up cutting the sweetness by adding the juice of one lemon. Delicious!
Sounds wonderful! Vanilla does add a level of sweetness as well.
I just found your recipe on Pinterest. I came directly to your site because of my skepticism about “mock” alcoholic drinks, and wanted to see if it was worth pinning. Well, you had me at “hello” because for some off the wall reason the moment I get pregnant all I want in life is an ice cold beer. The fact that I would turn down an ice cold beer for a Dr. Pepper when I’m not pregnant makes no difference. So I’m looking forward to trying your recipe, and the birth of baby number three!
WHY IS THAT?! So funny! :) Glad you liked my fake-tini…and congrats on #3! :) When are you due?
I have no idea why, just that it’s crazy. A few more months and I’ll be enjoying alcohol again!
I love mocktails, and this one is just perfect for fall and winter!
Gosh, this looks good – alcohol or no alcohol!! This would definitely be a hit among my friends!
I love this even without the alcohol! My husband is always frustrated that he’s the driver because after one drink it’s not me. I’m definitely going to bring this to our next get together and let him drink as much as he wants for once :) He’ll thank you big time!
This is perfect! I’m throwing a little halloween party next month, and all my preggers girlfriends will LOVE sipping on these :)