Back when my sisters’ kids were all little, we used to spend every Halloween together as a family for trick-or-treating. My oldest sister lived in one of those neighborhoods that goes all out for Halloween, and it was a blast to walk around for hours with all the kids hyped up on candy while us grown-ups had our own treat—travel mugs full of Spiked Apple Cider!
There are few things more quintessentially fall than hot apple cider, and spiking it with bourbon, as we do here, just makes it that much more festive! This is the exact combo of deliciousness that we used to ladle into our travel mugs for our annual trick-or-treating expedition, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
What should I spike apple cider with?
I like to use bourbon for my spiked cider. The flavor of bourbon compliments the mulling spices and the sweetness of the apple beautifully! As for the quality of the spirit, any mid-tier bourbon will do here. No need to use your spendy top-shelf bourbon in a mixed drink!
If you’re not a bourbon fan or don’t have any on hand, this spiked apple cider is also great with spiced rum. You may want to use less maple syrup if you go the rum route, since the spices will make the rum a bit sweeter than the bourbon.
Can I make this in the slow cooker?
You sure can. In fact, that’s the best way to keep a large batch of spiked apple cider warm for a crowd. Pour everything but the garnish into the basin of your slow cooker and set it to low. Set the brown sugar, orange and apple slices, and/or extra cinnamon sticks off to the side, so people can deck out their own glasses when they get refills.
Do I serve this spiked apple cider hot or cold?
Both! I personally prefer it warm, because it is so nice and cozy on a chilly day. But it is also super refreshing on a warmer fall day to have it on the rocks.
What spices are in spiked apple cider?
Warm spices, like the ones you’d put in an apple pie, are perfect for spiced apple cider. I chose to use cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and ginger, but you could also experiment with adding some allspice, nutmeg, or cardamom.
Wholefully Protip
Make sure you use whole spices when mulling your cider. That infuses the flavor of the spices without adding gritty, grainy ground spices to the cider.
How can I garnish this apple cider cocktail?
I’ve given a few garnishing options in the recipe notes. If you want to go all out, here’s what you’ll do:
- Run one orange slice around the rim of an empty glass.
- Press the juiced rim into a shallow plate of brown sugar, and twist the glass so that the sugar sticks.
- Pour your spiked apple cider, and top with the orange slice and an apple slice.
- Add a cinnamon stick, either stuck into the drink or balanced on top of the glass.
But if that feels like too much effort, you can do just one or two of these—the apple cider cocktail will still be delicious!
Does apple cider need to be refrigerated?
It sure does. Stash any leftover spiked cider in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Want more apple cider cocktails like this one?
Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider
No matter the weather, this Spiked Apple Cider is a festive way to celebrate fall! Serve it hot in a mug or chilled for a refreshing drink.
Ingredients
- 4 cups apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 whole star anise
- 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into slices
- 2 small oranges
- 1 cup (8 ounces) bourbon
- 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 1/4 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 1/4 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 Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 4gSugar: 47gProtein: 1g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
