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Hard Apple Cider Float in a highball glass with whipped cream and ground cinnamon and caramel sauce and apple slice (AI-generated image)
AI-generated image
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Hard Apple Cider Float

A grown-up root-beer float with apples: cinnamon whiskey and cold hard cider topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel.

Time
5 min
Difficulty
Easy
Method
Shaken
Glass
Highball glass

Ingredients

Servings

Amounts below make 1 serving.

21+ · Please drink responsibly. Learn more

Garnish: Whipped cream, Ground cinnamon, Caramel sauce, Apple slice (1 slice)

How to make it

  1. 1

    Add the cinnamon whiskey and hard cider to a shaker filled with ice.

  2. 2

    Strain into a tall serving glass.

  3. 3

    Top with two scoops of vanilla ice cream.

  4. 4

    Finish with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzle of caramel sauce and an apple slice.

Swap it: Pour the cider slowly over the ice cream if you'd rather skip the shaker. Serve right away so the float stays fizzy.

Bar gear

Equipment for this drink

Tools you'll need

  • Cocktail shakerChills, mixes and dilutes shaken drinks in about 12 seconds. A two-piece Boston shaker is the bartender standard.
  • JiggerA double-sided measure so every drink comes out the same. Look for one marked in ½ and ¼ oz.
  • Hawthorne strainerThe spring-edged strainer that holds back ice when you pour from a shaker.

Recommended glassware

  • Highball glassTall and straight for long, fizzy mixed drinks over ice.

No shaker? A clean jar with a tight lid works. Build your home bar →

Recipe source: Total Wine & More — Hard Apple Cider Float. Quantities and basic method are factual (the source lists amounts in "parts"; shown here as 1 part = 1 fl oz). Description and steps are original Mixistry copy. Last updated 2026-10-11.

Contains alcohol. For adults 21+ (or the legal drinking age where you live). Please enjoy responsibly.

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