5 Apple Cocktails for Celebrating Every Fall Occasion

Now that the cooler temperatures of fall are upon use it's time to replace those, the icy, frozen summer cocktails you've perfected can retire. Replace them with these autumn versions of sangria, mimosas, martinis, and more -- all incorporating the sweet, tart taste of apples or apple cider.

1. Apple Cider Mimosas

Apple cider mimosas from What the Fork may be the easiest cocktail you'll make this season: With just two ingredients, apple cider and Champagne, they're simple enough to serve a crowd, while the combination of fizzy Champagne and tart cider feels equally festive at a bridal shower lunch or for a post first-day-of-school-dropoff toast with your neighbors.

2. Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Cider

Hot apple cider is a welcome treat for all ages at a fall cookout, after an early morning junior league soccer game, or for warming up after a trip to the pumpkin patch — but this adults-only spiked version from Cooking for Keeps also deserves a place at your next football-watching party or family Thanksgiving. To make it, heat store-bought cider in the slow cooker with cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, and citrus for 6 hours, and then add a liter of your preferred whisky (or bourbon).

3. Apple Cider Sparkling Cocktail

Celebrate a special occasion -- your anniversary, Thanksgiving, Wednesday night — with a vanilla bean caramel apple cider cocktail from PaleOMG. Homemade vanilla simple syrup gives the cocktail — a combination of apple cider, lemon juice, vodka, and champagne — a boost of sweetness, but the garnishes turn it into a showpiece: Rim the glass with caramel and dip it in cinnamon maple sugar, and then top with skewered apples tossed in maple sugar.

4. Apple Gin Mule

If the vodka, ginger beer, and lime combo in a traditional Moscow mule has been your summer go-to drink — or if you prefer the gin mule version that uses gin instead of vodka — give it a cool-weather makeover with this recipe for an apple gin mule from Jennifer Meyering. Replace the lime flavor with apple cider and the vodka with gin for a tangy autumn cocktail that's still served in those iconic copper mugs.

5. Apple Cinnamon Sangria

Apple cinnamon sangria from Diary of a Debutante is full of fall flavors: Sweet red apples and tart Granny Smiths, autumn pears and sliced oranges, rich red wine sweetened with apple cider, and the warmth of homemade cinnamon simple syrup and brandy. Make a pitcher for cocktails around the fire pit or to create a smooth transition from the last warm days of summer into the first crisp evenings of September.