Apple Cinnamon Martini

A caramel apple martini is usually made with vodka, a fruity ingredient such as apple cider, apple juice or liqueur and something that gives the caramel flavour. The exact combination varies quite a bit. Traditional versions often use butterscotch schnapps or sour apple liqueur while modern versions like ours prefer using fresh apple cider, caramel sauce and flavoured vodka.

For this particular creamy apple cinnamon martini, vanilla vodka, cloudy apple cider, caramel liqueur, cream and homemade apple cinnamon syrup create a softer more dessert like drink. The apple cinnamon syrup made with fresh apple, brown sugar and cinnamon gives the drink a more natural apple pie flavour than relying entirely on sweet flavoured liqueurs.

Vanilla vodka is a particularly good choice for this version because its gentle vanilla flavour fits naturally with the apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and caramel. It also helps create the dessert like character without needing a large amount of caramel or butterscotch liqueur.

A good quality plain vodka will work perfectly well too. We recommend using neutral vodka if you want it to let the apple and caramel flavours remain the focus. Use vanilla or caramel vodka for a sweeter dessert style drink.

I would avoid using a strongly flavoured apple vodka in this creamy recipe unless you particularly want a more obvious artificial fruit flavour. The cloudy cider and homemade syrup already create enough flavourful notes.

Yes. Apple juice works but the finished drink will usually be sweeter and a little less rich than one made with cloudy apple cider. We've found from various different taste tests that Apple cider has a deeper more concentrated fruit character which is particularly good with caramel and cinnamon.

For this recipe choose a cloudy, unsweetened or lightly sweetened apple cider if you can find one. If you only have apple juice then simply use the same amount and taste the finished cocktail before making another one. If it is noticeably sweeter, reduce the homemade syrup slightly or add a tiny squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

That small tweak can make a big difference and acidity is a useful way of preventing caramel apple drinks from becoming overly sweet.

The easiest way is to reduce the sweet ingredients rather than simply adding more alcohol. Start by reducing the caramel liqueur or homemade apple cinnamon syrup slightly, then use a less sweet cider.

A tiny splash of fresh lemon juice is another useful trick. You don't want the drink to taste lemony either. You are simply adding enough acidity to make the apple and caramel taste brighter. One of the biggest complaints we found from our testers was that too much sweetness starts to throw this into the sickly sweet category. This is always something we try to avoid.

For our recipe, I would start by leaving everything exactly as written. If you find it too sweet, reduce the caramel liqueur from 15 ml to 10 ml next time. If it still needs more balance, add about 5 ml / 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.

Also remember that the caramel rim contributes sweetness with every sip, so you can make the drink itself less sweet without losing the caramel apple experience.

Use a thick caramel sauce rather than a very runny caramel syrup and chill the glass before adding the drink. Slightly warming the caramel for a few seconds makes it easier to drizzle but it should still be thick enough to cling to the glass.

For a more aesthetic look don't just coat the entire inside of the glass. Spoon or drizzle caramel around the upper inside edge and let gravity create several uneven trails running down the glass.

Then put the glass back into the freezer for at least 5 minutes before pouring in the cocktail. This gives the caramel time to firm up.

The slightly messy appearance is actually what makes the finished drink look so good. Perfectly straight caramel lines tend to look artificial, while irregular drips give you that generous caramel apple dessert appearance.

You can prepare some of it ahead but the finished cocktail is best made immediately before serving. Once ice is added and the drink is shaken, dilution starts and the creamy texture can change if it sits for too long. Out of our own personal experience we highly suggest making the drink fresh. For batch recipes you can prepare the liquid mixture in advance and chill it before shaking individual servings.

For a party make the apple cinnamon syrup and caramel prepared glasses ahead of time. This is our preferred method for a cocktail party. You can also measure the vodka, apple cider, caramel liqueur and syrup into a covered container and refrigerate it.

When your guests are ready simply add the cream and shake each serving with fresh ice. This gives you the cold smooth texture and light froth that make this particular version special.

I prefer to make the caramel drips and cinnamon sugar rims shortly before serving rather than hours ahead. The caramel can soften and the sugar can become damp over time. This really gives it more of a social media worthy look.