It's definitely apple cider margarita season, and it's imperative you take advantage.
I've been making apple cider margaritas for YEARS based on this recipe, but this year decided to try something a little different. A little less sweet. A little more grown-up, if you will.
Enter: Boiled Cider.
Have you ever had boiled cider before?! It is literally just apple cider that is boiled for HOURS until it becomes the most incredible syrup that you will want to put in and on everything. Because of its concentrated flavor, I love the tartness it adds to these margaritas (similar to what lime juice does to a traditional one), but also that extra bit of apple that is just so right.
The boiled cider is a bit of an afternoon project, but it's mostly hands-off so do it this weekend and have it ready for all your apple-y needs. I first learned about it from Food52, but the technique is pretty self-explanatory. A gallon of cider should give you about a cup of syrup (I'm serious), but a little will definitely go a long way so adjust your amount as needed.
Once you have the boiled cider, the rest of the margarita is SO easy to make. Just equal parts gold tequila and gran marnier, about double that of fresh apple cider and a little boiled cider. Shake shake shake and you've got yourself the BEST fall drink.
It's super customizable too! The first time I made this, I left out the fresh apple cider and just did equal parts tequila, gran marnier and boiled cider and I absolutely LOVED it. It's so strong, but the perfect thing to sip on slowly while you're cooking a giant meal. I decided to add the extra apple cider to ensure I didn't blow anybody's heads off, but know that you can make this as strong or as sweet as you need it to be.
Cheers!
Apple cider margaritas
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
- 1 oz gold tequila
- 1 oz gran marnier
- 1 oz boiled cider (see note for recipe)
- 2 oz apple cider
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in shaker and shake for 30 seconds, or until the syrup fully mixes in.
- Enjoy!
Notes
To make 1 cup boiled cider: Pour one gallon of apple cider into a big ol' pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer until it becomes the most delicious syrup. This is mostly hands-off, so don't worry about babysitting the pot. Check every hour to make sure it's still simmering away, and at around the 3-hour mark you should notice it thickening. Continue checking every 20 minutes or so at that point until it's the perfect consistency for you. It goes quick at the end, but once you start to see those big bubbles rise up in the pot you should be done.
Boiled cider thickens like crazy when it's cool. Before using, I stick it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up so that it mixes really well with the finished drink.
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