Caramel Apple Mocktail with Ginger Beer and Cinnamon

Caramel Apple Mocktail

Apple cider and caramel make the sweet base of this cold, sparkling mocktail; ginger beer adds a spicy bite. To keep the caramel flavor evenly mixed without losing the decorated finish, stir most of the sauce into the cider and reserve the rest for streaks inside a tall, clear glass and a lightly sugared rim.

Finish the ice-filled drink with thin apple slices, a dusting of cinnamon, and a cinnamon stick. It takes 5 to 7 minutes to assemble and is best served as soon as the ginger beer goes in.

Ingredients for One Caramel Apple Mocktail

• 1/2 cup chilled apple cider (4 fluid ounces)
• 1/2 cup chilled nonalcoholic ginger beer (4 fluid ounces)
• 4 teaspoons pourable caramel sauce, divided
• About 1 teaspoon coarse or granulated sugar, for the rim
• About 1 cup ice, enough to loosely fill the glass
• 3 to 4 thin fresh apple slices
• 1 cinnamon stick
• A tiny pinch of ground cinnamon

How to Make a Caramel Apple Mocktail

1. Coat the rim: Spread 1 teaspoon caramel sauce in a thin ring around the rim of a clear, 12- to 14-ounce highball or Collins glass. Put the sugar on a shallow plate and dip the rim lightly into it. The sugar should cling without caramel dripping heavily down the glass.
2. Add the streaks: Drizzle 1 teaspoon caramel sauce in a few irregular lines down the inside of the empty glass, leaving the rim intact.
3. Mix the cider base: In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the remaining 2 teaspoons caramel sauce with a splash of the measured cider until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the cider, checking that no large caramel lump remains.
4. Add ice and cider: Loosely fill the glass with ice. Slowly pour in the caramel-cider mixture so some streaks remain visible.
5. Top and garnish: Pour in the chilled ginger beer. Overlap the apple slices in a fan at one side of the rim, dust them lightly with ground cinnamon, and set the cinnamon stick beside them. Stir once or twice gently with the stick only if needed. Serve immediately while bubbly.

How to Keep the Caramel Smooth

Thick caramel can clump when added directly to a full glass of cold cider. Loosen the portion meant for the drink with a splash of cider first; the separate streaks on the glass do not need to dissolve. Keep the rim coating thin, too—a heavy layer can slide off and make the drink overly sweet.

Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, or Club Soda?

Ginger beer gives this version its spicy contrast. Replace it with the same amount of chilled ginger ale for a milder ginger flavor, though the drink may be sweeter. Chilled club soda makes a lighter, ginger-free caramel apple spritzer. If cider is unavailable, apple juice works but generally has a less robust apple flavor.

Make-Ahead and Serving

Chill the cider and ginger beer in advance. Mix the caramel-cider base shortly before serving, and cut the apple slices close to serving so they look fresh. Add ice and ginger beer at the end: the assembled drink loses fizz as it sits, and melting ice dilutes it.

For a group-sized apple drink instead of individually decorated glasses, try sparkling apple cider punch.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per tall mocktail, including the ice and edible garnish but not the cinnamon stick: 230 calories, 0g protein, 1g fat, and 55g carbohydrates. Per 100g of the assembled drink: about 55 calories, 0g protein, 0g fat, and 13g carbohydrates. Values vary with the cider, ginger beer, caramel sauce, and how much of the rim coating is consumed.