Spiked Apple Cider
Hot apple cider, autumn spices, and a splash of smooth bourbon come together for the ultimate fall cocktail that’s as perfect for a chilly evening by the fire as it is for a festive holiday gathering.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 229kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 whole star anise
- ½ inch piece of fresh ginger cut into slices
- 2 small oranges
- 1 cup bourbon 8 ounces
- 0 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup see notes
- For garnishing: brown sugar orange slices, apple slices, cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the apple cider, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and ginger over medium heat. Wash the oranges well, then slice in half and squeeze the juice into the saucepan. Drop in one of the squeezed orange halves, and discard the other three.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour through a mesh sieve to filter out the spices and orange half.
- Combine the apple cider mixture with the bourbon and maple syrup. Serve hot, or chill to serve over ice.
Notes
- Depending on the sweetness of your apple cider, you might want to omit the syrup completely. A more tart apple cider might need as much as ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of syrup to be tasty. Mix in the maple syrup at the end to adjust to your taste.
- Because this is a mixed drink, no need to use top shelf bourbon here unless you really want to. Any middle-shelf bourbon will do the trick.
- To keep this warm for a crowd, keep it in a slow cooker on low.
- To rim glasses: place about ¼ cup of brown sugar in a saucer, run an orange slice around the rim of an empty glass, and place the rim in the sugar and twist to adhere the sugar. Fill.
- To garnish: place an orange slice and apple slice on each glass, then place a cinnamon stick in the glass (if long enough) or balance on the top.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 15mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 47g
