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The RumChataTini tastes like Fall flavors in a martini glass. This cider cocktail combines RumChata, apple cider, and brandy to bring you a sweet assortment of flavors in a creamy dessert cocktail. Vanilla, apple, cinnamon, and brown spice blend with RumChata to make a Fall or Winter cocktail that is really special.

RumChataTini cider cocktail on a gold platter with Fall leaves garnishing the scene.
This RumChata and Cider cocktail is great!

🍸 What makes this recipe special?

This is a simple drink, and I wanted to do my best to capture Fall flavors in a new and sweet way. The three ingredients (RumChata, brandy, cider) are a really great combination and precisely capture the flavors I was looking for. The summary is that I shake this drink in a cocktail shaker and serve it up in an iced martini glass.

🍾 What is RumChata?

RumChata is a tasty adult brand of drink. It is based on Horchata, which usually has cinnamon and rice in the recipe. Horchata has worldwide roots but often is connected with Spain and Mexico. It sometimes contains alcohol, and in this case, it does.

This is not our first recipe with RumChata, as we recently used it for our Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with RumChata Glaze, but it is our first cocktail with the spirit. Drinking RumChata on the rocks is great and is like drinking Fall flavors, but adding it to a cinnamon roll is something fun and special.

RumChata is not the cheapest liquor in the world, but it really does taste great. You could certainly try your hand at making your own Horchata and I am sure you can make some delicious concoctions, but RumChata is a great place to start and is a great spirit. It is worthwhile for every home bar.

🍷 What is Brandy?

Brandy is distilled wine. You might be thinking about the most common grape wine that we mostly see in the stores, but it really can be wine made from any fruit. We once made Homemade Apple Brandy and that could totally be used for this recipe, but it also is an opportunity to explore other flavors and tastes.

For this particular recipe, I used one of the more popular brandy brands in the US named E&J. It is reasonably priced and is great for a drink like this.

Cognac could be used for this recipe, as well. Cognac is a distilled white wine that has some stringent rules on where it is created. All Cognac is a brandy,  but just a fancy kind of brandy.

🤷 Does RumChata Curdle?

If RumChata is added with acidic fruits it can curdle, but it should not for this recipe. If mixed with lemon, I suspect it will curdle shortly thereafter. Originally, I was working on a hot drink to make with cider and RumChata, but found that the spirit can curdle even with apple juice.

Apples are fairly low in acidity, however, so it typically should not be an issue and when I added heat to the mix is when the problem came up. Now, we are dealing with a cold recipe and we have not had any issues. Just don’t add lemon to the drink.

🧊 Shaken or Stirred?

We serve this cider cocktail up as a martini, which always begs the question… shaken or stirred? Do what you want, but we shook this martini. What I like about a shaken martini is that it really quickly cools down the drink and gives it a nice mix.

One disadvantage can be that it puts little ice shards in your drink. I don’t mind this. In fact, I sort of like the little floaties in my cocktail.

The alternative to shaking is mixing. If you prefer to mix, still do so in your shaker glass, but use your mixing spoon and thoroughly mix before straining into the martini glass.

For a classic Gin martini, I tend to shake mine as well. To be honest, I prefer my classic Gin martini stirred if both the gin and the glass are stored in the freezer. I tend not to, however, keep most spirits in the freezer.

Translating this theory to this martini, I don’t think it would work. I don’t think RumChata can be stored in the freezer, as it has a pretty low alcohol content and you cannot store cider in the freezer.

Use your best judgment, but if you have any questions, just stick with the shook recipe.

🥃 Type of Glass in this Cider Cocktail

We serve this up as a martini, but you could also serve it in a lowball glass over ice or straight up. While the drink is fairly booze forward, it is pretty forgiving in terms of how it is served.

You are going to get that sweet, creamy, cinnamon toast crunch flavor no matter what vessel you serve it in. I think you could even make a legit drink by serving it in a highball glass and topping off the drink with some extra cider and maybe RumChata.

Does RumChata have nuts in it?

RumChata does not traditionally have nuts in it, but it may be made with equipment that has been used for nut products.

Does RumChata have dairy in it?

RumChata does not traditionally have dairy products in it.

RumChataTini Cider cocktail on a gold platter.
This RumChata martini is easy to make and a fun drink.

📝 RumChataTini Cider Cocktail Tips Summary

  • We use E&J Brandy for this drink, but you really could try any brandy to mix up the flavor profile.
  • While I serve this in a martini glass, a lowball or rocks glass would work fine for this cider cocktail.
  • RumChata is a great brand, but you certainly could substitute your own homemade horchata recipe.
  • Try to use apple cider or juice that does not have citric acid as a listed ingredient. This will help make sure the cocktail does not curdle. 

🛠 Products I Used In This RumChataTini

😋 Did you make this recipe?

That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this RumChataTini recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.

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RumChataTini cider cocktail on a gold platter with Fall leaves garnishing the scene.

RumChataTini Cider Cocktail

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Ben Myhre
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 minutes
  • Yield: 1 Cocktail 1x
  • Category: Cocktail
  • Method: Shake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This RumChataTini Cider Cocktail is full of Fall flavors and is a delicious sweet drink. The mix of brandy, RumChata, and apple juice make for an awesome drink and perfect to warm your belly as it starts to get cool outside.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/2 ounce Brandy
  • 1 1/2 ounce RumChata
  • 2 ounces Apple Juice (or Cider)
  • Ground Cinnamon to garnish

Instructions

  1. Add brandy, RumChata, and apple juice to an ice filled shaker.
  2. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds
  3. Strain into chilled martini glass.
  4. Lightly Sprinkle cinnamon on top to taste
  5. Serve

Notes

  • We use E&J Brandy for this drink, but you really could try any brandy to mix up the flavor profile.
  • While I serve this in a martini glass, a lowball or rocks glass would work fine for this cider cocktail.
  • RumChata is a great brand, but you certainly could substitute your own homemade horchata recipe.
  • Try to use apple cider or juice that does not have citric acid as a listed ingredient. This will help make sure the cocktail does not curdle. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cocktail
  • Calories: 243
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Sodium: 34 mg
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 10mg

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