Best Substitutes for Apple Cider

Out of Apple Cider? Here are the best alternatives that work in cocktail recipes.

Apple Cider — other used in cocktails

Original Ingredient

Apple Cider

Other 5.00% ABV Rustic apple aroma with earthy, slightly yeasty fermentation notes. Tart, tannic palate with crisp acidity and orchard fruit depth. Dry finish with faint barnyard funk.

Recommended Substitutes

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Apple Juice

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

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Cider

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

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Ginger Beer

Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.

General Substitution Tips

  • Match the alcohol level: a 40% spirit needs a similarly strong replacement or adjust volume.
  • For liqueurs, dilute spirits + simple syrup can replicate sweetness and proof.
  • Citrus substitutions: lemon and lime are mostly interchangeable at a 1:1 ratio.
  • For bitters, Angostura is the most neutral substitute for most other aromatic bitters.