Fall is here, peeps! That means falling leaves, carving pumpkins and, of course, cozy cocktails. It doesn’t get much cozier than this smoky apple margarita. The smokiness comes from a bit of mezcal, a Mexican spirit similar to tequila and the whole thing is finished with a delicious cardamom sugar rim. Need I say more?
About this Cocktail
If you follow The Boozy Oyster blog, you know that I love mezcal. I’ve written extensively about it because it’s deliciously smoky and easily takes cocktails to a different level.
In this apple margarita, I used it to balance the sweetness of the apple syrup and to add some smokiness to the cocktail. If you can’t find mezcal where you live, feel free to use tequila instead. I would recommend a nice reposado (or aged) tequila to get some of the same smokiness that’s inherent to mezcal.
The smokiness of mezcal adds a layer of warmth to this cocktail, but I also decided to make a cardamom sugar to rim the glass to really turn this into the perfect fall cocktail. It’s super easy to make, and it does make a difference, so don’t skip it!
Making Syrup from Apples
Making simple syrups is super easy, and this one can even be made with leftover apple peels! I decided to use a whole apple in mine because I didn’t have any apple peels around, but feel free to try it with the peels. Instead of two large apples, you will need the peel from around 5 red apples.
I also used turbinado sugar rather than regular granulated sugar to infuse the syrup with a faint taste of caramel. Turbinado sugar is just a less processed, coarser sugar, and it has a beautiful light brown color. You can find it in most grocery stores, but feel free to substitute it with granulated sugar.
If you would like to know more about simple syrups for cocktails, make sure to check out this post.
I hope you enjoy this apple margarita!
Smoky Apple Margarita
This cozy apple margarita gets some smokiness from mezcal, a spirit similar to tequila. It's finished with a cardamom sugar rim.
Ingredients
- For the apple syrup (makes 2 cups):
- 2 large red apples, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of turbinado sugar
- For the margarita:
- 2 oz of mezcal (I used Vida by Del Maguey)
- 1/2 oz apple syrup (recipe follows)
- 1/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 dashes of Dillon's small batch bitters
- 1 dash of Angostura bitters
- Slices of apple and lime to garnish
- For the cardamom sugar rim:
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
- 1/8 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
Directions
- Step 1 Make the apple syrup: In a medium sauce pan, combine all the ingredients for the syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the temperature and simmer for 15-20 min, or until the apple pieces start to break down.
- Step 2 Let the mixture cool for 10 min. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and into a clean jar or bottle. Let cool completely and store in the fridge for up to a month.
- Step 3 To make the margarita: Combine the granulated sugar and ground cardamon in a shallow bowl and set aside. Pour the lime juice into another shallow bowl and set aside.
- Step 4 When you are ready to assemble the cocktail, take your glass and carefully dip the rim into the lime juice that you placed in the bowl. Dip the rim in the cardamon sugar and tidy the edges with a paper towel if necessary.
- Step 5 Fill the glass with ice.
- Step 6 Fill a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Add the mezcal, apple syrup, lime juice, and bitters and stir until chilled
- Step 7 Strain into the glass with the ice and garnish with a slice of apple and a slice of lime.
- Step 8 Serve immediately.
NOTES:
- If you can’t find mezcal, feel free to use tequila. Just make sure it’s a nice reposado (or aged) tequila.
- You can make the apple syrup using apple peels instead of whole apples. You will need the peel of about 5 large red apples.
Here are some other mezcal cocktails you might enjoy:
If you like this recipe, please make sure to pin it, share it on social media, or email it to your friends. Don’t be shy! People are always grateful for some cooking inspiration 
Also, if you have any questions or just want to let me know that you liked the recipe, please leave a comment below. Hearing from other adventurous home cooks always makes my day!
This cocktail sounds amazing! Perfect for fall!
Thank you, Karly!
Making a simple syrup from the apple peels is brilliant. There are plenty of apples that get peeled for pie and I love the ingenuity of using the apple peels for something useful rather than dumping them in the compost.
Thank you, Jenni! I love recipes that make sure of little bits and scraps.
LOVE the look of this coctail! i love the flavour of mezcal so I can imagine it would pair beautifully with the apple! Such a creative recipe!
Thank you, Georgie! The two definitely work well together!
Ive never met a margarita I haven’t loved, but your twist with the cardamon sugar rim has me writing everything down to get it all to make! That sounds like it makes a stellar finish to a yummy cocktail! Cheers!
Hi, Michele! The cardamom sugar rim is my favorite part! 🙂
What a fabulous combination of flavors. That cardamom sugar rim sounds AMAZING!
Thank you, Allison!
Margaritas are my favorite! I have never had an apple margarita before, but I am so intrigued by this! It looks absolutely stunning!
Margaritas are one of my favorite cocktails too, Sherri! I hope you like it if you do decide to make it.
Margarita is one of my favorite drinks but I always associate it with summer. Now finally I can have a great fall version too! It sounds soooo delicious!
Thank you, Jessica! I hope you like it!
Oh I’m soooo making this on Friday for me and my hubby. I love everything apple this time of year. And this sounds perfect. Love the addition of cardamom.
Thanks, Natalie!
While mezcal isn’t usually my favorite, I would definitely love to try this cocktail! Do you think it would be tasty with regular tequila? I know it wouldn’t have the smokiness, but tequila is always delicious right?
You can never go wrong with tequila 🙂 I would suggest using a reposado, or aged, tequila to get some of the complexity of the mezcal.
OH, this one sounds like a real treat! My hubby is a purist when it comes to margaritas but I am all for those seasonal twists! You have so many great cocktail recipes on your page! I will have to browse for a bit!
Thank you, Kiki!
I love this twist on a margaritta recipe! I have plenty of apples, I’m going to give this a try.
I hope you do, Anne!
I was just talking to my best friend about our upcoming girls night and she had margaritas on her mind! This will be perfect to make to go along with our cooking baking night in!
Sign me up for this immediately! lol This looks amazing and perfect for Fall! I could use one of these after a long day for sure. Perfect for company as well. Delish!
Thank you, Michele!
Ooh, the smoky apple flavours sound just wonderful. I never tend to order a margarita but I would totally order this one.
The smokiness of the mezcal works so well with the sweetness of the syrup. I hope you give them a try!
What is the difference between the 2 bitters in the recipe? Is there a substitute for the small batch bitters?
Hi, Diane! Sorry for the very delayed response. These two bitters have different flavor profiles: I find Dillon’s to be brighter and have less of a ‘mulling spice’ flavor, while Angostura is a classic, spicy and rich. You can definitely omit the Dillon’s if you have to and just use Angostura bitters — if you only have one bottle of bitters, Angostura should be it — but if you have other bitters, you can experiment with the fruity end of the spectrum, like peach and grapefruit.