5 Party drinks using apple cider

Apple cider is the quintessential autumn drink. Take your basic cider to new heights of deliciousness with these five cider-based party drinks your guests will love.

Ingredients:

• 60 mL ounces cranberry juice
• 30 mL ounce vodka
• 30 mL no-pulp orange juice
• cold hard cider (to taste)
• apple slice

Fill your cocktail shaker and the martini glass with ice. Add cranberry juice, no-pulp orange juice and vodka to shaker and mix well. Strain contents into a martini glass and top with cold hard cider. Garnish drink with an apple slice.

Ingredients:

• red sangria
• apple cider
• ice
• sweet moscato wine
• orange wedge
• lime wedge
• apple slice

This one is simple, but oh-so-sweet and apple-y. Combine equal parts red sangria and apple cider over ice, then add a splash of sweet moscato wine. Garnish with an orange wedge, lime wedge and apple slice. Feel free to make up a batch ahead of time and let guests serve themselves from a pitcher or punch bowl.

Ingredients:

• 30 mL cognac
• 30 mL tequila (gold)
• 180 mL apple cider
• apple slice
• orange wedge
• ground cinnamon
• sugar (and/or coarse sugar if you wish -- for glass rim)
• cinnamon stick

Mix cinnamon, sugar and coarse sugar together on a plate or in a wide bowl. Run the orange wedge around rim of a margarita glass, then press the rim into the cinnamon and sugar mix until rim is fully coated. Put orange wedge and apple slice in the glass and fill it with ice. Add the cognac, gold tequila and cider and stir well. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Ingredients:

• 120 mL apple cider
• 60 mL bourbon
• cinnamon
• sugar (and/or coarse sugar if you wish -- for glass rim)
• orange wedge
• apple slice
• cinnamon stick

Mix the cinnamon, sugar and coarse sugar together on a plate or in a wide bowl. Run the orange wedge around rim of a cocktail glass, then press the rim into the cinnamon and sugar mix until rim is fully coated. Fill the glass and your cocktail shaker with ice. Combine apple cider and bourbon and shake. Strain into glass. Garnish with an orange wedge, apple slice and cinnamon stick.

Ingredients:

• chilled, hard apple cider
• cold lager
• chilled, frosty mug

This party drink will likely appeal to the guys in the group, or any beer lover. Simply serve equal parts chilled hard apple cider and your favourite cold lager beer poured in a chilled, frosty mug.