The September Freeze–Apple Cider White Wine Frozen Cocktail

As summer transitions to Fall, I have a beautiful cocktail to do the same! My September Freeze is an apple cider white wine cocktail with notes of amaretto that delivers all of those Fall flavors but still in summery frozen cocktail form. It’s a gorgeous date night drink to kick off the season.

The September Freeze

After Labor Day ends, I find myself immediately switching to Fall. All of a sudden, I’m wearing plaids, burgundy, and sweaters as if the calendar has literally flipped a page and I’ve stepped directly into a new season. Give me one PSL, and I’m there. The weather, though, doesn’t always get the memo.

Here in Southern California, September can be hot. And as much as I’d like to immediately shift to cozy dinners and soups on the stove, the heat tells me I need to slow down. Instead of running full force into the cozier aspects of fall, I like to keep some of the lightness of summer while adding in those first hints of the season to come.

My September Freeze bridges that gap perfectly. It has all those beautiful early-fall flavors—apple, cinnamon, and amaretto—but I blend it with ice to create a frozen cocktail that you could still happily drink by the pool if necessary. And the color is pure autumn, with beautiful golden hues.

This is the perfect cocktail for my No-Cook Date Night Dinner. It comes together in minutes and brings out the fall flavors in the other dishes on the table, especially my Spiced Apple & Amaretto Mascarpone Parfaits. It’s an elegant and easy cocktail, perfect for sipping on a Friday night after one of those busy September weeks.

I’ll be drinking this cocktail all autumn long. I can imagine serving it after apple picking, alongside a casual evening following a harvest event, or simply enjoying one at home as the seasons begin to change. It’s a little bit summer, a little bit fall, and exactly what I want from September.

Hosting Tips

• If you like a sweeter cocktail, add in a tablespoon of maple syrup to the blender. It adds sweetness while also driving home those Fall flavors.
• I like to garnish this with a cinnamon stick. You could also rim the glass in turbinado sugar and cinnamon mixed together. A slice of apple or even orange would work beautifully as a garnish as well.
• For a drink that is more cinnamon forward, throw a stick of cinnamon into the apple cider the night before you’re going to make this cocktail. Adding cinnamon directly to the blender can give you a grainy texture that isn’t as appealing.
• For batching this cocktail, I’d mix the liquids together in the morning. Then blend with ice before serving.

A Crisp Fall Cocktail

My September Freeze cocktail is a beautiful cocktail for date night–elegant and with those lovely notes of Fall on the horizon. I like to serve it as part of my No Cook Date Night, which is no cook and no stress to keep date night laid back. Alongside the cocktails, I serve an Italian spin on tuna sandwiches, a special whipped ricotta and arugula salad with grapes, and parfaits that alternate layers of spiced apples and amaretto mascarpone. Totally swoonworthy!

If you’re looking for other Fall cocktail inspiration after trying the Freeze, try my Autumn Spritz with Aperol and Rosemary. It’s definitely full-on Fall flavors, but I like that it blends the summer spritz with those autumnal notes similar to the way the Freeze does as well. Or my fan favorite Hazelnut Thyme Champagne Cocktails are gorgeous for a celebratory Fall evening. If you like the blended cocktail vibes, don’t miss my Frozen Banana Coconut Ginger Cocktails. They’re so refreshing!

I’m so excited for the months to come, and this cocktail offers the perfect toast to the start of the season!