What is an Appletini?

The appletini is a variation of the vodka martini, which diverges in taste from the typical dry martini by adding apple juice and/or apple liqueur, or apple schnapps. It tends to be served in the standard martini glass, but truly differs from the martini in taste, since it is a fruity tasting drink with the apple flavor usually masking the vodka. Since the drink is fairly new in origin, and popularized by shows like Sex in the City, Scrubs, and The Colbert Report, there is considerable variation as to how the drink is made.

Though various bartending sources may differ on how the drink should be made, most agree on how it should be served: straight up in a martini glass, and often garnished with an apple slice and/or a cherry. A typical recipe for an appletini might contain three parts vodka, a part apple schnapps, and a part Cointreau®, an orange flavored alcohol. Other recipes combine two parts vodka with a half part apple schnapps and a half part apple juice or cider. Drink ingredients are poured over ice, and shaken before being strained into the serving glass.

Since the recipe varies considerably, it may be hard to gauge the amount you’re drinking when you order an appletini. You can ask for an ingredient list, as those that contain the most alcohol will definitely pack the most alcoholic punch. An appletini made with part apple juice will have a little less alcoholic content. Yet these are sweet drinks, which often makes them quickly drinkable. Thus in any form, over consumption is not a wise choice.

The appletini has led to a variety of other drink variations. For instance, the rumbletini is made with a base alcohol of rum instead of vodka. Caramel appletinis blend either apple or plain vodka, apple schnapps, and butterscotch schnapps together. These last are favored by those who really like sweet drinks, and are perhaps considerable fans of various flavored alcohols, schnapps, and liqueurs.

One decadent version of the caramel appletini is prepared by Chili’s Restaurants®. This drink calls for the inclusion of caramel sauce. The drink has become a popular one at various Chili’s Restaurants®, and will surely be hijacked by other bars for those who like their drinks sweet.