The best thing about this drink… it’s just a nice, lightly spiked warm beverage to sip by a cozy fire on a chilly day.
Spices you’ll need: whole allspice and cloves + cinnamon sticks. I stuck them in a tea strainer, but you can wrap the little ones in a piece of cheesecloth if you’d like. And they’d probably be just fine in the pan on their own if you have a fine sieve for straining.
Combine apple cider (or apple juice) in a pan with the spices.
Bring it all to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Those spices get right on in there and flavor up that apple cider/juice just perfectly.
Pour that hot spiced apple cider into mugs. Hand them out to the kids first, then spike yours with a bit of brandy. The alcohol is not overwhelming, but just enough to give you a schnizzle of warmth in your belly. Purchase a sampler size of brandy at a liquor store if you don’t want a big ‘ol bottle lying around.
Enjoy by a roaring fire!
2012 has been a happy and memorable year for me (and I hope for you too!) Highlights include:
- Trips to New Orleans, Oregon, Kansas City, New York City, Napa Valley, Massachusetts and Seattle.
- Weddings… both my niece and my nephew (and a new baby too!)
- Cross Country Road Trip 2012 with my family.
- Celebrating my 17th wedding anniversary with the best husband ever.
- A family reunion in Lake Tahoe.
- Watching my 11 year old son play endless sports- tennis, basketball, baseball and flag football.
- Finishing up my very first cookbook!
Thank you my sweet readers… for your visits to my blog… for your sweet comments and constructive criticism… for your emails and tweets… and for believing in me and my recipes. I’m living my dream because of > YOU. Happy New Year!
Spiked Cider
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 cups apple cider or apple juice
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 3 sticks cinnamon
- 1 ounce brandy, or more as desired
Instructions
- Bring cider almost to a boil in a saucepan.
- Place spices on a square of cheesecloth and tie up with a string (or add to a tea strainer); add spice bag or strainer to cider and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Remove spice bag.
- Serve cider in cups and float a small amount of brandy on top of each serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I loved this warm idea…but was wondering if there was supposed to be brown sugar in the recipe like regular spiced cider has..let me know! Becky
No, just as written.
Thanks again Lori! Not just a few, there was a lot!!! 🙂 Thanks a bunch! 🙂
Oh my word does that sound amazing and comforting for a cold night! It’s going to be 0 here on Friday night… I will be warming up with a class of this cider!
Oh I will have to make this today, this is perfect for the season! Happy New Year.
This sounds heavenly! Hope you had a fabulous holiday season. Sending you hugs! Can’t wait for your book to come out.
xoxo
Happy New Year, Lori!
Lori,
Enjoy your blog tremendously.
It is a cool, mid-thirties temperature wise here, on the coast of Washington
state. I think your Spiked Cider is just what we need. Cheers!