Apple Airmail Cocktail Recipe

The Apple Airmail cocktail is a refreshing tequila highball flavored with green apple soju, elderflower liqueur, lemon, and topped with dry sparkling wine. It has a light, tart, and floral flavor profile. 

Developed by bartender and cocktail content creator Kaitlyn Stewart, the Apple Airmail is a riff of a few different classic cocktails, including the Airmail and the French 75. While the classic Airmail, a variation on a Daiquiri, is made with white rum, lime juice, and sparkling wine, this version swaps in tequila and lemon. In lieu of honey syrup, this drink leans on elderflower liqueur for sweet notes and added richness.

Green apple soju is a flavored Korean spirit with candylike green apple notes and a punch of tartness. At around 12% alcohol by volume, the green apple soju lends flavor to the Apple Airmail without adding too much booze. 

Why the Apple Airmail works

This highball cocktail blends a lot of strong flavors in harmony with one another. The blanco tequila sets a base of grassy notes, elderflower liqueur adds sweetness and a punch of florality, the green apple soju has a tangy brightness, and the lemon cuts through all the sweetness. 

A full three ounces of sparkling wine makes this drink a highball cocktail. We like Prosecco for its subtle citrus and orchard-fruit notes that blend seamlessly with the other ingredients in this drink.