Apple Shots: 5 Sour-Apple Shooters, From Washington Apple to Apple Pie

Most fruit flavors die somewhere between the orchard and the shot glass. Apple survives. Sour apple schnapps tastes convincingly like biting a Granny Smith, apple juice brings the pie, and cider adds fizz — tart, sweet, and warm-spice, all covered by three cheap ingredients.

Five apple shooters, starting with the one everyone asks for.

5 apple shots & shooters

Washington Apple

Crown Royal, sour apple schnapps, and cranberry juice, shaken cold. Tart, crisp, and the reason sour apple schnapps still sells. See recipe

Pro tip: Crown Royal Apple exists now, and it turns this into a two-bottle pour: just add cranberry.

Caramel Apple

Sour apple schnapps and butterscotch schnapps topped with 7-Up. The butterscotch plays caramel against the tart apple: county fair, in a glass. See recipe

Appletini

Vodka and sour apple schnapps. Yes, it’s usually a martini, but at shot size it’s a clean, tart two-ingredient pour with none of the fuss. See recipe

Apple Pie Shot

Vodka, apple juice, and a dash of cinnamon. Sweet and mellow; the cinnamon does the crust’s job. See recipe

Apple Bomb

Vodka and energy drink with cider. A drop shot with an orchard accent, for when the table wants ceremony. See recipe

Frequently asked questions

What’s in a Washington Apple shot?

Crown Royal, sour apple schnapps, and cranberry juice, shaken with ice and strained. It’s named for Washington state’s apples, not the president.

What liquor tastes like apple?

Sour apple schnapps (DeKuyper Pucker is the standard), apple brandy, and flavored whiskies like Crown Royal Apple. Hard cider covers the fizzy end.

Can I substitute something for sour apple schnapps?

Apple brandy plus a squeeze of lime gets you close, or use a green-apple vodka and add lemon. You’re replacing both the apple flavor and the tartness, so keep some acid in the mix.

Do apple shots work for fall parties?

They’re built for it. The Apple Pie and Caramel Apple in particular read as pure October, though the Washington Apple gets ordered year-round.

Tart apple and whiskey turned out to be one of the great shot-glass partnerships, and the rest of these ride the same orchard. Shake up a round of Washington Apples first; the shots and shooters collection has plenty more where that came from.

Last modified on August 30, 2026