Cider Delighter

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Cocktail History

The Cider Delighter is an autumn cocktail that was created by Meaghan Dorman at Dear Irving in New York City, New York.

This drink was specifically designed to highlight the Vikingfjord brand of vodka, a potato-based spirit known for its purity, as it’s distilled exclusively with glacier water. To capture the essence of fall, the recipe combines this vodka with the classic seasonal flavors of crisp apple and aromatic allspice. The result is a cocktail that’s simple yet elegant, offering a balance of smoothness and spice that makes it ideal for sipping during cooler weather.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Vodka: This is a spirit made with fermented grains or potatoes and water, which are distilled and then filtered to develop a clean, neutral flavor.

Apple Cider: This is a beverage made with fresh-pressed apple juice that’s typically unfiltered to produce a sweet, slightly tangy fruit flavor.

Allspice Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with allspice berries, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended, infused, and sometimes aged to develop a warm, spiced flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Apple Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with apples, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop a tart, slightly sweet apple flavor.

Apple: This is a type of fruit grown on apple trees that has smooth red, green, or yellow skin and a mild, sweet to tart flavor.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Smirnoff Vodka
• 🔗 The Glass Orchard Apple Cider
• 🔗 St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram
• 🔗 Dashfire Spiced Apple Bitters

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Apple Corer: This is a handheld kitchen tool with circular blades and a center coring ring that’s used for coring and slicing apples into uniform wedges.

Lowball Glass: This is a short, wide glass with a thick base that’s used for serving cocktails with ice or spirits neat.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Apple Corer, Slicer, & Divider
• 🔗 Steelite Pasabahce Centra Rocks Glass

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Golden brown color

• Aroma: Apple and allspice

• Taste: Crisp apple flavor backed up with seasonal baking spices and woodsy notes

• Finish: Some tartness from the lemon

Kendall’s Take
“At first glance, this feels like it might be another classic apple cocktail, but the Cider Delighter goes in a brighter, tangier direction than expected. Without an aged spirit anchoring it, the apple and citrus notes really take the spotlight, giving the drink a crisp, almost sharp edge that stands out from heavier fall recipes. If you’re in the mood for something lighter and more refreshing than the usual whiskey-apple lineup, this cocktail offers a fresh take on the category.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the publication Liquor.com.