When fall rolls in, I can’t help but crave cozy drinks for friends. Especially when we’re prepping for a Halloween party or just planning a movie night.
The Poison Apple Cocktail is honestly one of my favorites. It’s simple, super tasty, and always brings up memories of the classic Snow White story.
This easy recipe lets me serve a drink that looks fun, tastes crisp like apples, and brings a bit of spooky charm to my table.
I always love seeing everyone’s reaction when I set out these cocktails. The deep apple color is just perfect for autumn gatherings.
If you’re looking to make your next party extra special, or just want a new fall drink, I think you’ll have fun mixing up this Poison Apple Cocktail.
The Poison Apple Cocktail Recipe
This drink blends apple flavors with vodka and a splash of cranberry or pomegranate juice. The taste is bold and fruity, and the color is just gorgeous.
With the right equipment and ingredients, I can get that bright, sparkling effect and a fun garnish on top.
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker: I need this for mixing and chilling the drink.
- Strainer: This helps me pour the drink without any ice or fruit pulp falling into my glass.
- Jigger or shot glass: Helps me measure liquids easily and get the right taste.
- Martini glass or coupe glass: A classic shape that shows off the color and shimmer of the cocktail.
- Bar spoon: For gently stirring in toppings like glitter or layering grenadine.
- Knife and cutting board: I use these to safely slice an apple for garnish.
- Small plate: Useful if I want to rim the glass with cinnamon sugar or fall spices for extra flavor.
- Measuring spoons (optional): Help if I use small amounts of edible glitter or gold luster.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz vodka (plain, caramel, or green apple for more flavor)
- 1 oz sour apple schnapps or apple brandy (for a sharper apple taste)
- 1 ½ oz cranberry juice or pomegranate juice
- 1 oz apple cider or apple juice
- ¼ oz orange liqueur (like Triple Sec or Cointreau)
- ½ oz simple syrup (adjust to taste for sweetness)
- ¼ oz grenadine (for color and a hint of tartness)
- 1 pinch fall spices (like ground cinnamon or nutmeg, optional)
- 1-2 drops green food coloring (for a vivid green look)
- ¼ tsp edible gold luster or edible glitter (like brew glitter, for sparkle)
- Garnish: Fresh apple slice or wedge, cinnamon stick, or a sprinkle of edible glitter
Instructions
- Add vodka, sour apple schnapps (or brandy), cranberry or pomegranate juice, apple cider (or juice), orange liqueur, and simple syrup to the cocktail shaker.
- Squeeze in grenadine for a rich color.
- If I want a neon green color, I add a drop or two of green food coloring.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or fall spices if I want extra depth.
- Fill the shaker with ice, secure the lid, and shake well for about 15 seconds, until the mix is chilled.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass (or coupe glass) using the strainer.
- Add a little edible gold luster or glitter, then gently swirl or stir with a bar spoon to make it sparkle.
- Top with a fresh apple slice, a cinnamon stick, or extra glitter for garnish.
Notes
I recommend choosing a good quality vodka or green apple vodka for the best flavor. Caramel vodka adds sweetness if I want it more like a caramel apple.
If I want a less sweet drink, I reduce or skip the grenadine and use unsweetened cranberry juice.
For an extra tart twist, I sometimes try sour apple schnapps instead of apple brandy.
Edible glitter comes in all sorts of colors, but I usually stick with gold or green for that wow factor.
Rim the glass with cinnamon sugar if you want a fun fall touch.
It’s easy to scale up for a group by mixing in a pitcher and shaking or stirring in batches.
Must Have Ingredients
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 | Oranfit Dried Orange Slices For Garnish | Buy On Amazon |
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 | Strongwater Old Fashioned Mix- Handcrafted Old Fashioned Syrup with Bitters, Orange, Cherry, Organic Demerara Sugar | Buy On Amazon |
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 | Original Bloody Mary Mix | Buy On Amazon |
 | Fever Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit | Buy On Amazon |
 | Professional Drink Mixer Set for Beginners | Buy On Amazon |
 | 1 Pack 3 Tier Bar Glass Rimmer | Buy On Amazon |
 | Cocktail Ice Mold With Easy Fill and Release Silicone Round Ice Ball Maker | Buy On Amazon |
 | Stainless Steel Bar Tool For Making Garnish for Cocktails & Mocktails | Buy On Amazon |
Poison Apple Cocktail Recipe
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Strainer
- Jigger or shot glass
- Martini or coupe glass
- Bar spoon
- Knife and cutting board
- Small plate (for rimming, optional)
- Measuring spoons (for glitter or spices)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz vodka plain, caramel, or green apple flavored
- 1 oz sour apple schnapps or apple brandy
- 1 ½ oz cranberry juice or pomegranate juice
- 1 oz apple cider or apple juice
- ¼ oz orange liqueur Triple Sec or Cointreau
- ½ oz simple syrup adjust to taste
- ¼ oz grenadine
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon or fall spice optional
- 1 –2 drops green food coloring optional, for color
- ¼ tsp edible gold luster or edible glitter optional, for shimmer
- Garnish: fresh apple slice cinnamon stick, or additional glitter
Instructions
- Add vodka, apple schnapps (or brandy), cranberry juice, apple cider, orange liqueur, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Add grenadine, food coloring (if using), and cinnamon or spice.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass.
- Add edible glitter or luster and swirl gently with a bar spoon.
- Garnish with an apple slice, cinnamon stick, or extra sparkle.
- Serve immediately.
Tasting Notes
When I take a sip, there’s a sharp apple taste right away. The sweetness is a lot like biting into a fresh apple—or maybe even a piece of candy.
The tart kick from the sour apple liqueur is pretty great. It blends with the apple juice and just makes the whole thing pop.
Flavor highlights:
- Sweetness: Comes from apple juice and grenadine
- Tartness: Brought out by the sour apple liqueur
- Fruity notes: Dominated by apple, with a subtle cherry finish
If I use black vodka or dark rum, the drink gets this mysterious vibe. The shimmering poison apple cocktail has a swirling shine that’s just fun to look at.
Honestly, when I try this at a Halloween party, it feels like the perfect festive treat.
The aftertaste is crisp—not too syrupy or heavy. The flavors linger just enough to make me want another sip.
Substitute
Sometimes I just don’t have all the ingredients for the Poison Apple Cocktail. That’s honestly fine!
Here are a few easy substitutes that I’ve found work pretty well, at least for me.
Equipment:
- Cocktail shaker
- Strainer
- Jigger
- Old-fashioned glass or martini glass
Ingredients:
- To replace whiskey: I’ll use vodka for a lighter taste, or sometimes rum if I’m feeling like something sweeter.
- If I want an appletini vibe: I just swap out the dark liquors for apple schnapps and vodka.
- Missing apple juice? I’ve used pear juice, or even cranberry juice for a fun twist.
- No grenadine? Cherry syrup or pomegranate juice usually does the trick.
Instructions:
- Just pick the substitute ingredients you’ve got.
- Toss them into the shaker.
- Shake with ice for about 10 seconds—no need to be too precise.
- Strain into your glass of choice.
- If you feel like it, garnish with an apple slice.
I like to pick substitutes based on whatever’s actually in my kitchen. It’s more fun that way, honestly.
