From November through the end of winter, one of our favorite drinks to make is a hot spiked apple cider.  Peter made this drink a few years back and we have made it every year since.  It truly is a crowd pleaser and there is nothing better than a cup or two of hot cider on a cold day.  The smell of this cider simmering in your crock pot all day fills your home with the scents of the season too!

There are many different versions of spiked apple cider out there but I’ll be sharing the recipe that we have used for the past few years…we even tweaked it a bit and added our own special touches.

If you will be serving children as well, serve the hot cider before adding the alcohol so they can enjoy it as well!

Hot Spiked Apple Cider

• 1 gallon of good quality apple cider
• 2 oranges sliced (peel on)
• 1 lemon sliced (peel on)
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 4 tsp of whole cinnamon cloves
• 4 star anise (I wasn’t able to find whole star anise so I used ground star anise)
• 1 1/2 cups bourbon or whisky (start with 1 cup, taste, and then add up to a half of cup more should you desire)
• orange slices/cinnamon sticks for garnish

All all ingredients (except for the alcohol) into your crock pot, stir until well blended, and let simmer on low the majority of the day.  If pressed for time, you can let it cook for 4-6 hours on high.  Add the alcohol as the very end and as mentioned above, if you are serving children, serve the children first and then stir in the alcohol.  Garnish with a cinnamon stick and an orange slice/orange peel…serve and ENJOY!!!

I hope you will make this recipe this holiday season…I’m certain you will love it!  As always, thanks so much for stopping by…see you back here real soon!