It's no secret that apple candies are the first to fly off the shelves in fall, so why not have a cocktail that embodies the same sweet and crisp flavor? Get a little fancy with a sour apple martini. Originally called an Adam's Apple Martini, (named for the creator), it has since evolved into the apple martini or appletini. The drink doesn't only look good, but it tastes just like candy, and we're all about candy-flavored booze.
How to Make an Apple Martini
There are various types of apple-flavored liquor, so you can make different appletinis. Whether you're a fan of sweet or sour, experiment using different types of flavoring to find the appletini you adore.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces vodka
- ¾ ounce green apple schnapps
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce applejack brandy
- Ice
- Apple slice for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, green apple schnapps, lemon juice, and applejack.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with an apple slice.
Variations and Substitutions
The apple martini has lots of variations, but each makes a tasty and crisp martini.
- Use apple vodka for a stronger apple taste.
- Add a splash of simple syrup for a sweeter martini.
- Instead of applejack, try an ounce of apple juice.
- Try red apple schnapps for a tart red apple martini.
- Use caramel vodka for a caramel apple martini (we just swooned a little even typing that).
Related: 11 Alcoholic Apple Drink Recipes That Taste Like Fall
First advertised in the summer of 1972 in an issue of Playboy, the recipe for the apple martini has swiftly evolved over the past 50 years. Smirnoff's ad called for an ounce of vodka stirred into a highball glass of apple juice. The appletini as you know it today is hotly contested to have made its first true appearance around 1996 in West Hollywood.
Garnishes
An apple martini garnish doesn't need to be an apple. If that feels a little on the nose, you can incorporate different flavors and aromas to take it to the next level.
- For an extra pop of green, use a lime wedge.
- If you want a fun garnish, twirl a lemon or lime peel.
- Fan out several apple slices for an extravagant look.
- Consider a long apple peel, making a design, and piercing with a cocktail skewer.
More Than Just a Pretty Face
The appletini is more than just a vibrant-colored cocktail. It's an indulgent martini with exemplary tart yet juicy flavors. The next time you're looking for a cocktail that's a little different from your usual, or you're looking for those familiar sour flavors, shake up the apple martini.
