Ingredients
Quality ingredients make all the difference. Each component plays a crucial role.
Method
Technique transforms ingredients into something extraordinary.
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice
Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass
Garnish with an apple slice or cherry
Glassware
Served up in a chilled martini glass
Garnish
Master's Tips
Professional insights to elevate your craft
Use green apple schnapps for vibrant color
Chill glass for best presentation
Double-strain to remove ice shards
Dip apple slices in lemon juice to prevent browning
Variations & Riffs
Classic cocktails inspire countless variations. Here are some popular riffs on the Appletini.
Caramel Apple Martini
A decadent autumn cocktail capturing nostalgic caramel-apple flavors in sophisticated liquid form – sweet, crisp, and comforting.
Cinnamonitini
A warm, spiced martini-style cocktail featuring cinnamon flavors with vanilla vodka and cream – perfect for autumn and winter celebrations.
Rumpletini
A modern, potent cocktail defined by the bracing, high-proof peppermint schnapps Rumple Minze, representing the late 20th century '-tini' craze with its intense flavor and simplicity.
Red Appletini
A vibrant and flavorful cocktail that stands as a significant precursor to the ubiquitous green Appletini. Its unique composition of Canadian whisky, sour apple schnapps, and cranberry juice creates a harmonious balance of sweet, tart, and warming spice.
Other Variations
Drier Appletini
Increase vodka and skip the syrup for a crisper sip.
Changes
Tarter Appletini
Boost lemon juice to sharpen the pucker.
Changes
Sweeter Appletini
Add extra syrup or apple juice for a candy-like profile.
Changes
History & Heritage
“Born at Lola's West Hollywood in 1997 for a patron named Adam, the original "Adam's Apple" mixed vodka and DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker. Renamed the Appletini, it exploded in the late-'90s and early-2000s as a neon symbol of the era—appearing in films, sitcoms, and celebrity hot spots before being refined by modern bartenders with fresh juice and artisanal schnapps.”
More to Explore
If you enjoyed this cocktail, these similar creations might capture your interest.
French 76
Vodka variation on the French 75—vodka, lemon, and sugar topped with brut Champagne for a crisp, modern sparkle.
Vodka Collins (Joe Collins)
A crystalline, effervescent highball representing the mid-20th century ascendance of vodka, offering a cleaner, more neutral canvas than the gin-based Tom Collins.
Vodka Gimlet
A testament to the elegant power of simplicity, a clean and crisp variation of its gin-based progenitor that transforms a classic naval cocktail into a smoother, more approachable icon.