Homemade mulled apple cider

The holidays are fast approaching, the seasons have changed. Thoughts of summer fade into distant memories, warm sweaters and hot drinks become an essential part of the day to day life. As you begin to plan your holiday festivities consider a homemade mulled apple cider drink steeped in rich tradition and heritage for your next dinner, soiree or holiday feast.

Mulled apple cider is a traditional fall and holiday drink, its roots trace back to South West England. Commonly called wassail, the drink was created to celebrate the start of the apple seasoning. It was said that villagers would gather around the apple trees and wish them a productive and healthy crop. The song "here we come a-wassailing" is not only sung as a traditional Christmas carol but was also sung to the apple trees while sipping on hot mulled cider. The original Mulled cider was a concoction similar to modern mead or home-brewed beer. Over the years it has been adapted to a non-alcoholic version to include younger children in the celebrations. (Dark Rum or Bourbon can certainly be added for a festive adult only drink)

Mulled cider is a very simple drink comprised of apple cider and mulling spices. Mulling spices are usually comprised of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. The cider is heated in a large stock pot, honey, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and whole allspice are added, the whole mixture simmers for 10-15 minutes. The spicy, sweet flavor of the cinnamon bark mingle with the earthy flavors of the cloves and the complex flavor of the allspice. The result is a fragrant drink that is perfect for those cold crisp nights.

Our mulling spices arrive at your home packaged with all the ingredients you need to make a perfect cup of hot mulled apple cider. No more hunting in the back of the pantry for that stray cinnamon stick or wondering where you can buy whole allspice. Convenient, high quality and easy to use. You will wonder why you didn't buy this sooner!

Mulled Apple Cider

Ingredients:

    Yields 6-8 servings

  • 2 Quarts fresh apple cider
  • 1 tbsp. Mulling Spices
  • 1 orange (thinly sliced)
  • 1/8 cup honey

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a small stock pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes. Turn off heat and let the flavors steep for 5 minutes. Strain the cider to remove all whole spices and serve with a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick.