An Unforgettable Apple Pie Cocktail Recipe: the Apple Pie Martini

What’s better than a slice of freshly baked apple pie? This recipe, if you’re in the mood for a cocktail! A delicious balance of sweet, sour and spiked(!), this apple pie cocktail is my go-to for every autumn and winter occasion from Thanksgiving to Super Bowl Sunday. But don’t just think parties, picture yourself snuggling in front of the fire with someone special and a couple of apple pie cocktails on an icy winter night. That’s what makes this cocktail so great.

How to make the best apple pie drink

This drink is served chilled and can be considered an apple pie martini recipe. So yes, you get to serve this sexy vodka martini in a martini glass. (Historically a martini was a gin-based drink. But with the American love of vodka, the vodka martini became an acceptable version of the cocktail. And today, vodka variations give us a wide variety of unique and flavorful martini recipes like this one.)

Making this drink is simple – it takes less than five minutes – but you’re you might be surprised by the sheer amount of alcohol you’re about to use. You’re going to need:

• Vodka
• Brandy
• Triple Sec
  Plus apple cider and freshly squeezed lemon juice

The vodka is shaken with the brandy and triple sec along with the modest measure of apple cider (not apple juice) and fresh lemon juice. You might call it the New England version of a Painkiller. This particular martini recipe is shaken, not stirred. While stirring is the best choice for showcasing delicate flavors, this drink is bold. So shake it!

Equipment

Since this cocktail is shaken, you will need a cocktail shaker. If you enjoy making cocktails at home, you probably already have one. But just in case you’re in the market, here’s one of my favorite cocktail shakers.

Of course, since this is a martini recipe, you’re going to want martini glasses for serving. The v-shaped design of a martini glass is designed to make you sip a drink, not drink it too quickly. And with the addictive flavor, not to mention the high alcohol content, of this cocktail, you’re going to appreciate the function of the v-shaped glass! These are the glasses I use.

You will also need to make sure you have fresh ice because a cocktail shaker filled with old ice can give your cocktail a stale freezer flavor. Trust me, it’s awful. To make any shaken cocktail successfully, always make sure you have some nice, fresh ice on hand. (If you have a freezer with an automatic ice maker, you should clean out the old ice every once in a while. I clean mine out about once each month and use the old ice to water the trees in my backyard.)

How to garnish it like a pro

This apple pie vodka cocktail recipe does call for one final flourish, the “wow factor” that will take your mixology skills to the next level.

Core and thinly slice a green apple right before serving. (Do not do this in advance as apples tend to brown quickly.) Dust the apple slices with a faint sprinkling of ground cinnamon and granulated sugar. Put a small slit in the center of each apple slice so they will slide easily onto the side of the lip of the martini glass and voila! You have mastered making a well-balanced, beautifully garnished, fall and winter cocktail.

And if you want to take the garnish even further, you can try making a graham cracker rim for the martini glass. Just crush graham cracker to fine dust, (the easiest way is to use a food processor). Then transfer the graham cracker crumbs to a saucer wider than the circumference of your glass. Run a wedge of fresh lemon around the martini glass rim to moisten the edge then dip it in the graham cracker dust to coat. Just be sure to pour the martini into the glass very carefully so as not to ruin your perfect rim.

Why you should serve this apple pie cocktail on date night

“Sure,” you’re thinking, “I know why this apple martini recipe is one for date night. Ply your date with this much liquor and all inhibitions go out the window.”

And while that might be true, this apple cider martini offers some aphrodisiac benefits beyond making you feel fearless in the face of seduction. (Also please keep in mind that while a little liquor can take date night into the realm of seduction at an accelerated pace, too much of this good thing can also destroy your chance of getting lucky. So a little hesitation in mixing a second drink might be a good thing.)

Anyway, added to this apple pie drink recipe’s fabulously potent blend of alcohol is the original fruit of temptation. Apple is one of the most famous aphrodisiacs of them all.

Of course, it’s not just apple in apple cider. That blend of spices adding to this apple vodka martini recipe’s complex flavors, well it’s also aphrodisiac. A typical cider is flavored with some blend of baking spices such as cinnamon, clove, allspice and ginger – all of which have a history and reputation as an aphrodisiac.

Lastly, there’s that key ingredient. As I mentioned, the lemon is, for me, what makes this martini sing. And it’s not only because I love what it does to the flavor profile of this apple spice martini. Lemon, along with all citrus fruits, is among the best foods for women’s sexual health.

More cozy winter cocktail recipes

Sorrel Hot Toddy
Coffee with a Kick
Manhattan Cocktail for the Holidays
Spiked Apple Cider
Cranberry and Chocolate Winter Daiquiri
Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps
New England Apple Cider Cocktail

Apple Pie Martini

Print Recipe

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This potent combination of vodka, brandy and triple sec makes a drink that tastes surprisingly like the filling in a great apple pie. 

Course cocktails

Cuisine American

Dish Type Cocktail

Cooking Style Mixology

Seasonal autumn, Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving

Ingredient apple cider, vodka

Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Servings 1 drink

Author SVEDKA Vodka

Equipment

• Cocktail shaker
• Martini glasses

Ingredients

• 2 parts vodka
• 1 part brandy
• 2 parts apple cider
• 1 part triple sec
• 1 part fresh lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.*
• Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass.
• Garnish with apple slices dusted with cinnamon sugar.

Notes

*One of the most important steps in making almost any cocktail is checking your ice. Make sure that you're using fresh ice to shake this drink. 

We first published this cocktail recipe in 2018 and most recently updated it in November 2022. 

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Amy Reiley

An award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks with an MA in Gastronomy, Amy Reiley has spent the past 18 years studying the history and science behind aphrodisiac foods. She speaks on aphrodisiacs globally and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac foods to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health writer and wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine. Most importantly, Amy is a mother to 2 human children and 1 standard poodle.

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