Pumpkin spice is without question the flavor of the season but a pumpkin spice martini? This drink recipe proves that a spiced pumpkin martini, layered with the classic spices found in pumpkin pie, is a fantastic addition to any occasion that calls for cocktails. An incredibly easy martini recipe, this drink blends a pumpkin syrup with apple cider and vodka with the perfect festive garnish, a graham cracker crust! This is fall cocktail-making at its finest.

How to make apple cider and pumpkin vodka martini

This is such a creative and interesting fall cocktail. Most drinks using apple cider blend it with a brown spirit like bourbon or whiskey. But this drink recipe opts for a more delicate approach with vodka. The ingredient that brings all the flavors together is the pumpkin spiced syrup.

Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make this pumpkin cider cocktail so unique:

Ingredients

1. Whey protein vodka – This pumpkin apple cider drink recipe doesn’t call for just any vodka. This recipe was created for a specific vodka brand, Broken Shed from New Zealand. Broken Shed is distilled with whey protein. The resulting vodka is ultra-smooth, clean with just a faint, slightly fruity sweetness. It’s a good product, one worth trying if you like vodka. But if you can’t find it, (I found it on Drizly), just use your favorite vodka.
2. Pumpkin Reàl – An ingredient I’d never worked with before but I now love, this flavored syrup is a blend of pumpkin puree with sugar, pumpkin spice blend and a touch of ginger. It makes an interesting replacement for simple syrups in seasonal cocktails and it’s an ingredient I’ll definitely experiment with using in other recipes, like shakes and baked goods.
3. Apple cider – The last ingredient in this drink is the most straightforward! A staple of autumn, apple cider gives the drink body and an extra punch of spice.

If you like a great presentation, you can add a graham cracker rim and make it a pumpkin pie martini. Just finely crush the graham crackers, use a little cider to moisten the rim and dip the rim of the glass in the crumbs. This final flourish gives the drink the flavor of a fantastic pumpkin and apple pie.

Special equipment

If you’re a fan of making martinis, you probably have everything you need for this pumpkin cider martini.

To make the cocktail, you’ll shake it in a classic cocktail shaker. And, of course, you’ll need martini glasses for serving. Here are some of my favorite martini glasses.

When to serve this pumpkin spice martini

This drink recipe is so easy and so much fun! You can use it for any occasion that calls for cocktails and be confident that everyone will fall in love with its whimsy and flavor.

Spiced pumpkin martinis will be the hit of a Halloween party or a sophisticated autumn brunch. And if you want to serve it as a pre-dinner drink on Thanksgiving, consider rimming the glasses in advance so you simply have to shake the cocktail and serve.

Of course, the drink is positively layered with aphrodisiac ingredients. In fact, everything in this recipe, (with the exception of the graham crackers), is an aphrodisiac from the apples to the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and, of course, the vodka. So consider this drink for a romantic date night at home. It’s a great cocktail for a cozy autumn evening in front of the fire.

More great martini recipes for fall

Tia Maria Espresso Martini
Vodka Apple Pie Martini
Smoke on the Water Vodka Martini
Spicy Moonshine Martini
Yazi Mischief! Martini

Pumpkin Martini with a Graham Cracker Rim

Print Recipe

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This easy vodka cocktail showcases the flavors of apple cider and pumpkin spice.

Course aperitif, cocktails

Cuisine American

Dish Type Cocktail

Cooking Style Mixology

Seasonal autumn, Halloween, Thanksgiving

Ingredient apple cider, vodka

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Servings 1 cocktail

Equipment

• Cocktail shaker

Ingredients

• graham cracker crumbs for the rim optional
• 2 oz Broken Shed Vodka from New Zealand*
• 1½ oz apple cider
• 1 oz Reàl Pumpkin Puree Infused Syrup

Instructions

For the graham cracker rim:

• Pour fine graham cracker crumbs into a saucer or other dish slightly wider than the rim of your glass.
• Wet the rim of the glass with apple cider, using the edge of a clean sponge.
• Dip the rim of the glass into the graham cracker crumbs.

For the cocktail:

• Add all ingredients to the shaker with ice.
• Shake, strain and pour into the prepared martini glass.

Notes

*Or your favorite vodka

• Author
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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs and her work in the field of aphrodisiac food history and health science is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiacs and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac foods to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.

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