5 Must Have Target Apple Cider Beverages For Early Autumn

August 15, 2026

The second the air turns crisp, apple is all I want to drink: bonfire, afternoon slump, or a table full of people, whatever the occasion calls for. This is the lineup I grab at Target once autumn shows up.

1. Martinelli’s Gold Medal Sparkling Cider – 25.4 fl oz Glass Bottle – $4.29

Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving tables both call for something bubbly that isn’t beer or wine, and this glass bottle of pressed apple juice is the one I reach for every year. It’s non-alcoholic, so it works for the whole table — grandkids, designated drivers, anyone taking a break from alcohol. I like popping it right before dessert and pouring it into real glasses so it feels like an event, not an afterthought.

Taste: It’s rounder and more grown-up than plain apple juice, with real cider-like depth and no cloying sweetness even though there’s no added sugar. The bubbles hold up well over an hour on the table instead of going flat and thin.

Make It Better: Chill it hard — ice-bucket hard — and it drinks like a fancy mocktail with almost no effort; a splash of cranberry juice dresses it up even more for the holidays.

Parting Thoughts: Great pick for anyone hosting a mixed crowd of drinkers and non-drinkers this fall.

2. Alpine Spiced Cider Instant Drink Mix Original Apple Flavor – 10ct – $3.39

I keep a box of these packets in the pantry for the exact moment it turns cold enough to want something warm in my hands but I don’t have real apples and a pot of spices to simmer. Tear one open, add hot water, and you’ve got a mug that tastes like the fair or a football tailgate in under a minute. It’s just as easy served iced if the afternoon warms back up, which fall days have a habit of doing.

Taste: It’s sweet and cinnamon-forward, closer to an apple-spice candy than a fresh-pressed cider, and a few sips lean a little artificial rather than deeply appley. Still, it dissolves completely with no gritty residue, which matters more than people think.

Make It Better: Drop in a cinnamon stick and a squeeze of real lemon to round out the flavor, and keep scissors handy — the packets are surprisingly stubborn to tear open by hand.

Parting Thoughts: Honest, budget-friendly comfort in a mug; just don’t expect it to taste fresh-pressed.

3. Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider – 6pk/12 fl oz Bottles – $10.99

Tailgaters, backyard bonfire crowds, and anyone who finds beer too bitter and wine too fussy tend to land on this the second cider season starts. It’s the hard cider I bring to a potluck when I’m not sure what everyone’s drinking, because it splits the difference between a cocktail and a beer without asking much of the host. It’s also gluten-free, which quietly solves a problem for at least one person at most gatherings.

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Taste: Bright and juicy, almost like biting into a crisp apple straight off the tree, with just enough sweetness to feel indulgent but not syrupy. It goes down crisp and easy rather than heavy or boozy-tasting.

Make It Better: Serve it bottle-cold in a chilled glass — letting it sit out at room temperature dulls the crispness that makes it worth reaching for in the first place.

Parting Thoughts: A safe, crowd-pleasing choice for fall get-togethers, even with people who don’t usually like cider.

4. Cove Enchanted Apple Probiotic Soda – 12 fl oz Can – $2.29

A canned soda built around real apple flavor instead of candy sweetness is rarer than it sounds, and it’s become my go-to for afternoons when I want something soda-like without the sugar crash afterward. It’s part of the newer wave of gut-friendly sodas showing up in the cooler case, easy to grab solo or stock by the six-pack for a fall get-together.

Taste: It tastes closer to an old-school apple soda than anything medicinal — clean, slightly tart apple with a light fizz and no weird aftertaste from the prebiotics or stevia.

Make It Better: Pour it over ice with a cinnamon stick garnish if you’re serving it to guests; it dresses up fast for something this simple.

Parting Thoughts: Worth it if you like soda but are trying to cut back on straight sugar; skip it if you want something that tastes unmistakably like real cider.

5. BLOOM NUTRITION Sparkling Energy Drink – Crisp Apple – 12 fl oz Can – $2.59

Afternoon slump around 2pm is exactly when this one earns its spot in my fridge door — zero sugar, a real jolt of caffeine, and a flavor that leans far more toward sparkling apple cider than typical energy-drink fruit punch. It’s an easy grab for errands or an afternoon walk when I want a lift without a second cup of coffee.

Taste: It’s crisp and a little tart, more like biting a fresh apple than sipping cider, with fine carbonation that keeps it from feeling like a syrupy typical energy drink.

Make It Better: Pour it over ice instead of drinking straight from the can — it mutes the artificial-sweetener edge that shows up once it warms past ice-cold.

Parting Thoughts: Caffeine and apple flavor rarely show up together this well, making it the easy pick when you want a lift without leaving the cider mood behind.