The weather is cooling down, the leaves are starting to change, and it’s officially Fall. So in my house that means bring on the cider!

But I don’t mean just any Apple Cider. It’s gotta be Spiked Apple Cider for me!

This easy Fall cocktail is made with vodka, Sour Apple Schnapps, fresh apple cider, and lemon juice. Add that Pumpkin Pie Spice sugar rim and it tastes like Sweater Weather in a glass.

Why You’ll Love This Spiked Apple Cider

A lot of Spiked Cider cocktails use flavored vodka or are made with bourbon. Now, I love a good bourbon drink, but I prefer vodka as an easy sipper.

That being said, I’m not a big fan of flavored vodkas. I think they can taste artificial and tend to be quite sweet. So I devised a way to use regular vodka instead, and this combination came out just right.

The Sour Apple Schnapps gives you plenty of apple flavor without needing apple-flavored vodka, while fresh lemon juice keeps everything bright. Then you have the apple cider bringing in all those cozy Fall flavors.

And honestly, the rim might be my favorite part.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You only need a handful of ingredients for the cocktail itself:

Vodka
Sour Apple Schnapps
Apple cider
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Demerara cane sugar
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Fresh apple slices

I used Demerara Cane Sugar for the rim because it has a wonderful caramel-like taste and a pretty brown hue that’s perfect for a Fall cocktail.

Regular sugar is completely fine too, but if you have Demerara sugar, this is a great place to use it.

The real secret is adding Pumpkin Pie Spice to the sugar. That little combination of cinnamon and warming spices is the perfect complement to the apple flavors in the drink.

The Sour Apple Schnapps needs just a little sweetness to balance everything out, and the spiced sugar rim gives you exactly the right amount with every sip.

How to Make Spiked Apple Cider

First, mix your Demerara sugar and Pumpkin Pie Spice together on a small plate.

Run a lemon wedge around the edge of your glass and dip the rim generously into the sugar mixture. Don’t be shy with it! That sweet, spiced rim is part of what makes this cocktail so good.

Then slice up a couple of apples. I used two different varieties and cut them into thin slices before placing them right inside the glass. You can also hang an apple slice along the edge if you prefer.

This is a fun excuse to head to the farmers market or go apple picking and bring home a few beautiful apples for your cocktails.

Next, fill your cocktail shaker with plenty of ice.

Add the vodka, Sour Apple Schnapps, apple cider, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Give everything a really good shake until it’s nice and cold.

Fill your prepared glass with ice and pour in that beautiful apple cider cocktail.

And that’s it. You are officially ready to welcome in Sweater Weather!

Don’t Want to Make the Sugar Rim?

Now, if you are really opposed to taking the three minutes to sugar rim your glass, you can add the sweetness straight to the cocktail shaker.

I tried adding about 1/2 teaspoon of agave along with a hefty pinch of Pumpkin Pie Spice. It was good and definitely works as a shortcut.

For me, it was maybe a little sweeter than I wanted.

I still suggest making the sugar rim because it only takes a minute, looks beautiful, and gives you that little hit of sweetness and cinnamon Fall flavor with each sip rather than sweetening the entire drink.

But either way, you really can’t go wrong.

Tips for the Best Spiked Apple Cider

Use fresh lemon juice here if you can. That little bit of tartness is what keeps the apple cider and Sour Apple Schnapps from becoming overly sweet.

And definitely use a good apple cider. Fall is the perfect time to find fresh cider at the grocery store, farmers market, or apple orchard.

For the prettiest garnish, slice your apples very thin. I like using two different varieties because the red and green peels look so pretty together in the glass.

When to Serve It

My favorite time to make a drink like this is on Football Sunday.

Choose an appetizer or two from my Fall Appetizer list, pop those in the oven, mix up this wonderful concoction, and sit back with your Spiked Apple Cider while you cheer on your team.

Sounds like a perfect Sunday to me!

It would also be such a fun cocktail for an apple-picking weekend, Halloween get-together, Thanksgiving cocktail hour, or pretty much any crisp Fall evening when you want something easy and festive.

More Fall Cocktails to Try

Love the warm apple and spice flavors in this Spiked Apple Cider? Browse my complete collection of fall cocktails or try one of these seasonal favorites next:

Final Thoughts

This Spiked Apple Cider has everything I want in an easy Fall cocktail: tart apple, fresh cider, a little lemon, smooth vodka, and that sweet Pumpkin Pie Spice rim.

It takes only a few minutes to shake together, but the apple garnish and sparkling spiced rim make it look extra special.

Happy Sunday Funday because it’s Fall Y’all. Have fun and happy sipping!