Green Apple Jolly Rancher Cocktail (+ Easy Mocktail)
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Relive your childhood in a grownup way with this green apple Jolly Rancher cocktail. It’s an adult spin on a favorite candy, made with candy-infused vodka, melon liqueur, fresh lemon, and a splash of homemade pomegranate grenadine. This popular green apple Jolly Rancher drink also makes a great St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas or Halloween cocktail.
At a glance: A green apple Jolly Rancher cocktail made with candy-infused vodka, melon liqueur, and fresh lemon juice, finished with a few drops of homemade pomegranate grenadine. Start the infused vodka at least a day ahead, then the drinks come together in about 5 minutes. The recipe makes 2 cocktails and is for adults only. A kid-friendly mocktail version is included below.
Jolly rancher drinks and imitation drinks are quite popular with kids of all ages. Seems like the adult kids deserve a delicious drink they can enjoy, too. There is a nonalcoholic version of this recipe below for actual children.
Wouldn’t they make a fun Halloween cocktail?! The bright green color would be perfect.
Wait! They’re also perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, especially if you’re not a fan of green beer.
How about when watching your favorite sports team with green as a team color?
How about at a summer garden party?
They’d be great as a treat for the adults at a children’s party.
Jolly Rancher Cocktail
Isn’t your mouth watering at the thought of that tart green apple flavor in this vibrant cocktail?
Jolly Rancher shots are popular with the adult crowd, but there are times when you’d prefer a grownup cocktail to doing shots. You can wow your guests with this easy recipe for a cocktail that blends a fun childhood candy flavor with the sophistication of a cocktail. Serve it dramatically from a cocktail shaker to add a bit of flair.
If you’d like a tequila version, check out this Jolly Rancher Margarita from Sequins in the South. It’s served over ice, and you can blend it in a slushie machine if you’d like it frozen.
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These Jolly Rancher cocktails would be perfect for a variety of situations:
- The nostalgic candy taste is perfect for a bright summer day.
- The bright green color is perfect for a Halloween party.
- The fun candy taste would be great as the adult beverage at a child’s celebration.
- Add a frozen cranberry or two and it could be a festive holiday cocktail.
- The distinctive color makes it ideal for a bright green color athletic team tailgate style party.
A gentle reminder: you don’t want these cocktails to be confused with a Jolly Rancher drink for children. While this is a festive drink, it is a cocktail and only appropriate for adults. Instead you can serve one of these equally delicious non-alcoholic drinks for them:
- The Best Strawberry Lemonade Ever – This is the best strawberry lemonade I’ve ever had. It’s quick and easy to make, can be prepped ahead of time, and is perfect for large parties.
- Easy Pineapple Lemonade – An easy lemonade recipe that’s refreshing on a hot day. It’s a perfect afternoon treat & easy to make in big batches for a party.
- Witches’ Brew Punch – Witches’ brew punch is a fun, frothy easy-to-make Halloween drink that you can make in an adult version and also in a non-alcoholic version.
Mocktail Version
You could also make a mocktail version of the Jolly Rancher Cocktail by:
- Mixing equal parts of Jolly Rancher Slushie mix with sparkling water, apple juice or white grape juice
- Mixing Green Apple Jolly Rancher Drink powdered drink mix with sparkling water, apple juice or white grape juice
- You could also mix either with ginger ale or your favorite lemon lime soda, too.
How to Make a Jolly Rancher Cocktail
Green Apple Jolly Rancher Cocktail
Ingredients
- 9.5 ounces vodka divided
- 1.5 ounces fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 ounces melon liqueur
- 3 ounces ***homemade pomegranate grenadine syrup
- 5-10 Green Apple Jolly Rancher Candies
- Cocktail shaker
- Ice
Instructions
- Combine 5 Green Apple Jolly Rancher candies and 1 cup of vodka in container with a lid.
- Allow candy and vodka to infuse at least 24 hours.
- In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, add Green Apple Jolly Rancher infused vodka, melon liqueur, and lemon juice.
- Shake vigorously to mix.
- Place a Green Apple Jolly Rancher in the bottom of a glass.
- Fill the glass about three-quarters full with the Jolly Rancher Cocktail.
- Add a few drops of the homemade pomegranate grenadine syrup.
- *** To make the pomegranate grenadine simple syrup, add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, turn down heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Add 1/4 pomegranate juice. Remove and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container
Fun Variations for a Jolly Rancher Drink
- Make this Jolly Rancher cocktail in your favorite Jolly Rancher candy flavor. Watermelon is my other favorite, and it swaps in beautifully for green apple. Blue raspberry is another favorite candy flavor that works well..
- Make ice cubes from this Jolly Rancher drink and add them to your sparkling water or clear soda.
- Add a slice of fruit to the glass rim.
- Green apple
- Lime wheel
- Using a slushie machine is a great way to turn this recipe into frozen drinks.
- Experiment with changing the melon liqueur for other options:
- Blueberry Schnapps
- Peach Schnapps
- Try adapting the recipe with other substitutions:
- Cranberry juice
- Sour mix
- Substitute lemon-lime soda or sparkling water for some of the other ingredients to create a milder flavor.
- Serve this Jolly Rancher drink in:
- A Mason jar
- Tall cocktail glass
- An old-fashioned glass with character that matches your party theme
- A holiday-themed glass
- A sports team glass
Frequently Asked Questions about Jolly Rancher Drinks
The ingredients differ depending on whether you’re making a fruity cocktail, a Jolly Rancher shot or a Jolly Rancher flavor nonalcoholic drink. Common ingredients are:
Jolly Rancher hard candies
A bottle of vodka or infused vodka
Melon liqueur
Bottle of seltzer water
Bottle of clear soda
Fruit juice
Plan on about 8 to 24 hours for whole Jolly Rancher candies to dissolve in vodka, depending on how many candies you use. That’s why my recipe says to let the vodka infuse at least 24 hours. Crushing the candies first helps them melt faster, and giving the jar a swirl now and then helps mix the color and flavor evenly.
Yes. The Green Apple Jolly Rancher infused vodka from the first step of the recipe is the base of a Jolly Rancher shot. Chill it and pour it into shot glasses. As with the cocktail, this one is for adults only.
When you place candies in a bottle of Sprite, the candy will slowly dissolve. It can take 8 or more hours. It’s an easy way to add Jolly Rancher flavor to any clear soda. You can then use the flavored soda to make a delicious cocktail or nonalcoholic punch for party guests.
To make a nonalcoholic yummy drink of Jolly Rancher juice, mix a juice or lemonade that will complement your favorite flavor of Jolly Ranchers. You can dissolve the hard Jolly Rancher candies in a large glass of water to create a simple syrup. You can also mix Jolly Rancher powder with water until the powder dissolves to create a different flavor of Jolly Rancher concentrate that you can then add to juice. Choose fruity flavors of candy and juice that work well together. Some popular combinations are:
– Cranberry juice with any red Jolly Rancher Candy
– Pineapple juice with any tart flavored hard candy
– Orange juice works well with any sweet candy flavor
– Lemonade combines well with almost any flavor
Find all my favorite go-to easy recipes in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.
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Never would have thought of this… you are so clever! I was pretty much a watermelon Jolly Rancher gal myself, but I’d say green apple was probably my second choice. So fun:)
Watermelon and green apple were my two favorite flavors, too, Seana! You could make this drink and simply substitute watermelon Jolly Ranchers. Hmmm, I may have to give that a try. 🙂