Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Tequila & Mezcal Cocktails

Manzanasada

By
Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 12/17/22
Manzanasada cocktail in a collins glass, garnished with several diced red apple pieces

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

When fall and winter approach, tastes often turn toward autumnal flavors. That means fewer Mojitos and more drinks featuring seasonal ingredients like apples and ginger. The Manzanasada has both. It’s a tequila-and-mezcal-spiked cocktail that’s joined by apple cider, lemon juice and ginger beer, and it takes its name from manzana, the Spanish word for apple.

The Manzanasada was created by bartenders and consultants Tad Carducci and Paul Tanguay, authors of “A Lime and a Shaker: Discovering Mexican-Inspired Cocktails.”

Tequila and mezcal, though both derived from agave plants, are unique spirits that each lend something special to the recipe. Blanco tequilas tend to be agave-forward, with notes of citrus and pepper. Mezcals are often savory and earthy, with subtle hints of smoke. Put them together, and you get a flavor-packed duo that stands out in drinks.

The spirits merge deftly with their refreshing counterparts of apple cider, fresh lemon juice and ginger beer, and the result is an effervescent cocktail that you’ll want to go back to again and again. When you do, you’ll find the glass coated with a spice sugar rim. You can easily create this at home by mixing together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ancho chile powder for a sweet and spicy kick with each sip.

Ingredients

  • Spice sugar*, to rim glass

  • 1 ounce blanco tequila

  • 1/2 ounce mezcal

  • 1 1/2 ounces apple cider

  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • Ginger beer, chilled, to top

  • Garnish: red apple, diced

Steps

  1. Coat the rim of a Collins glass with spice sugar, fill with ice and set aside.

  2. Add the tequila, mezcal, apple cider and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  3. Strain into the prepared glass.

  4. Top with the ginger beer.

  5. Garnish with diced red apples.

*Spice sugar: Mix together 4 parts sugar, 2 parts ground cinnamon, 2 parts ground nutmeg and 1 part ancho chile powder.