Drinks • Mocktails

Sparkling Apple Cider

Name: Sparkling Apple Cider
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 8 cups (64 oz) fresh unfiltered apple cider, chilled; 4 cups sparkling apple cider or club soda, chilled; 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon; 1 to 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey, optional; 2 apples, such as Honeycrisp or Gala, cored and thinly sliced; 1 orange, thinly sliced, optional; 2 cinnamon sticks, plus more for garnish; 4 whole cloves, optional; 3 cups ice cubes, for serving

Chilled apple cider and sparkling cider poured over ice with apple slices and cinnamon for an alcohol-free party drink.

Updated: Nov 9, 2026

⏱ 10 mintotal

8servings

120 kcalper serving

Easylevel

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Why you'll like it

Ready in about 10 min.
Serves 8 — easy to halve or double.
Easy level — everyday equipment only.
Storage, freezing and reheating covered below.

This Sparkling Apple Cider recipe takes 10 min and makes 8 servings. The drink pairs fresh unfiltered apple cider with sparkling cider or club soda, a squeeze of lemon, and a light spice note from cinnamon, and it contains no alcohol so every guest at the party can have a glass.

Helpful guides

Instructions

Step 1

Chill the apple cider and the sparkling cider in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and put a pitcher in the freezer for 10 minutes. Cold ingredients keep the carbonation in the bottle and stop the ice from melting on contact.

Step 2

Pour the apple cider into the chilled pitcher and stir in the lemon juice and the maple syrup, if using. Taste before sweetening, since fresh cider ranges from tart and sharp to very sweet depending on the apples and the orchard.

Step 3

Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and the apple and orange slices, then refrigerate the base for 30 minutes to 2 hours. The fruit and spice need a little time to perfume the cider, and this is the make-ahead step that keeps the host out of the kitchen.

Step 4

Add the sparkling cider or club soda just before serving and stir once, slowly, from the bottom of the pitcher. Stirring hard knocks the bubbles out, and the drink falls flat in the glass within a few minutes.

Step 5

Fill glasses with ice, or skip the ice if the cider is very cold, then ladle or pour the drink over the fruit slices. Pouring over ice that is already in the glass keeps the mixture in the pitcher from going flat as it waits.

Step 6

Garnish each glass with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick and serve right away. For a party, set out the chilled base in a pitcher next to a separate bottle of sparkling cider so guests can top up their own glasses and keep the fizz.

Troubleshooting — fixes, not repeats

If the drink tastes flat, the sparkling cider sat open or was stirred too much. Open the bottle just before pouring and stir once only, since carbonation escapes faster from a wide pitcher than from a sealed bottle.
If it tastes too sweet, cut the maple syrup and add another tablespoon of lemon juice. Sweet cider plus sweet sparkling cider can double up on sugar, so taste the base before the bubbles go in.
If the apple slices turn brown, they were cut too early. Toss them in the lemon juice as you slice, or cut them within an hour of serving and hold them in a little cider in the refrigerator.
If you are making a large batch, keep the base and the sparkling cider separate and combine no more than one pitcher at a time. A pitcher that gets refilled holds carbonation better than one oversized bowl.

Make it your way

Spicier version: For a warm spiced version, heat the cider with the cinnamon sticks and cloves until steaming but never boiling, ladle it into mugs, and skip the sparkling component entirely.
A cranberry version uses 2 cups of cranberry juice in place of 2 cups of the cider and garnishes with fresh cranberries.
Ginger beer in place of the sparkling cider gives a sharper, spicier drink, while ginger ale makes it sweeter and softer.
For a tropical note, add 1 cup of pineapple juice and a star anise pod to the base.

Storage & reheating

Cool leftovers within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat only the portion you will eat until steaming hot throughout — poultry and reheated rice should reach 165°F (74°C).

FAQ

Is sparkling apple cider alcoholic?
Not if the label says nonalcoholic, sparkling juice, or sweet cider, which are pasteurized juices with carbonation added. Hard cider is the alcoholic product and is sold in the same aisle, so read the label and look for an alcohol by volume line. For a family party, buy the bottles marked nonalcoholic and keep them separate from any adult drinks.

Can I use apple juice instead of cider?
Yes, though the drink tastes lighter and sweeter, because apple juice is filtered and sometimes sweetened. Unfiltered cider gives the cloudy body and fresh apple flavor that make this drink feel special. If you only have juice, reduce the sweetener and add an extra squeeze of lemon.

How do I keep it cold without watering it down?
Chill the cider overnight, freeze some of it into ice cubes or a ring, and add the sparkling component last. A frozen ring of cider and apple slices keeps the pitcher cold for an hour without diluting it. Small cubes melt fast in a party pitcher, so larger cubes or a block work better.