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The second this drink hits the table, someone will instantly ask, “Wait…what is that?” Maybe it’s the electric green color or the sour gummy worm garnish. But this candy apple spritz is basically Halloween in a glass. It’s fizzy, tart, and sweet, and will give you flashbacks to eating r candy apple suckers that you’d get from the store growing up.

They’re made with crisp green apple simple syrup, lemon-lime Poppi sodas, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Add the sugar rim and a gummy worm on a cocktail stick, and you have your Halloween movie night drink.

Halloween is one of the only times when a shockingly green drink is appropriate. And the combination of the bright green color with the playful candy makes it so fun. And the best part is that it’s not complicated to make! Which is exactly what you’d want when you’re trying to actually enjoy the party.

This candy apple spritz is a mocktail, but if you want to turn it into a cocktail, add a splash of vodka, gin or prosecco for an easy boozy spritz. Either way you choose to enjoy this drink, it will be the electric green highlight of the party!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Green apple syrup
Lemon Lime Poppi
Limes
Crystal sugar or shimmer sugar sprinkles
Sour gummy worms
Ice cubes
Cocktail Sticks

Tips for Making This Candy Apple Spritz

Don’t skip the sugar rim! The tart lime juice helps the sugar stick to the glass and gives the drink an extra-fun look. You can have fun with the sugar rim and use coarse sugar sprinkles.
Add the syrup first! Pour the green apple syrup into the glass before adding the Poppi soda. This will make sure the syrup evenly distributes when you pour in the fizzy drink.
Don’t overmix the drink. If you need to give the drink a stir, you can, but avoid overstirring so you don’t lose carbonation.
Serve immediately! The bubbly soda will lose its carbonation, so it’s best enjoyed right after pouring. You can sugar the rims and make the gummy worm garnish ahead of time so that you’re ready to just add ice and pour.

Recipe FAQ

We used Torani Green Apple Syrup. You can either order on Amazon or check at your local grocery store to see if they sell the green apple-flavored syrup.

We recommend going with a syrup that is made for craft drinks, like lattes. Some of our favorite brands to use are Torani, 1883 Maison Routin, or Monin.

You can substitute the Lemon Lime Poppi for a lemon-lime sparkling water or soda. The soda will make the drink sweeter, while the flavored sparkling water will give you a lighter, less-sweet spritz.

Run a lime wedge around the outside of the glass and immediately dip the rim of the cup into a shallow plate of crystal sugar. It doesn’t take much lime juice to get the sugar to stick to the edge.

Start with 1 tablespoon of green apple syrup instead of two. If you feel like you need to add more, go ahead. You can also swap the Poppi drink for sparkling water instead.

Garnishing the Candy Apple Spritz

The fun part of cocktails or mocktails is the fun garnishes. You can go one of two ways when garnishing these drinks: candylicious or sophisticated.

If you like the playful look of candy on cocktail sticks, try using gummy worms, gummy eyeballs, small caramel candies, or gummy rings.

We lean on the fun whimsy side of gummies, but if the spread needs a more grown-up presentation, skip the candy. Add a lime wedge or think candy apple slice to the edge of the glass for a more sophisticated look.

Candy Apple Spritz Serving Suggestions

If you’re serving at a party, here are our recommendations for the setup. You can make it hands-on or as hands-off as you’d like!

Make it party-ready! If you want to let everyone assemble their own Candy Apple Spritz, set out pre-rimmed glasses with lime wedges, gummy worms, and drink sticks. That way you aren’t in the kitchen all night making drinks.
Give options! Our recipe is made without alcohol, but if you want to make a boozy version of this drink, add caramel vodka or gin. You can also swap the Poppi soda with a prosecco for some fizz.
Use large ice cube molds. Instead of adding a lot of ice cubes, we recommend using large ice cube molds to make large ice cubes. That way the ice slowly melts and doesn’t get too watered down. Use skull-shaped silicone molds or pumpkin-shaped silicone molds for a festive addition.

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