I've been thinking about this holiday cocktail for a while...
I wanted to create a drink that could be served on Thanksgiving Day, and at holiday parties all the way through to Christmas. I also wanted a cocktail that was quick and easy to make, and not too expensive, so it could be served in large batches to a crowd. This warm, rum spiked mulled cider ticks all of those boxes!
Ingredients
Makes 8 Cocktails
- 32 ounces hard apple cider (it doesn't matter if it's fizzy because the boiling process gets rid of most of the bubbles)
- 8 ounces rum (I love Flor de Caña, but any dark rum will do)
- 1 orange, peeled
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 cloves
- Dried apple slices, optional for serving
Method
- In a large pot or dutch oven combine the hard cider, rum, orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and cloves and bring to the boil.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for around 5 minutes, and then take off the heat.
- Serve warm, and garnish with a slice of orange peel, dried apple, or cinnamon stick.
Notes
- This recipe easily doubles or triples (or quadruples!) depending on the size of your crowd.
- It's pretty easy to drink, so you can increase the amount of cider and decrease the amount of rum if you think your crowd might go for seconds or thirds.
- This 6 quart dutch oven is a good option if you're entertaining a big group.
- You want to serve this cocktail warm, but not scorching, so I suggest making it ahead of time and allowing it to cool off a bit. You can always zap it in the microwave if you need to reheat it.
- As long as your dutch oven has time to cool down, you could serve this cocktail with a ladle straight from the pot.
- It's nice to have a few extra slices of orange peel, dried apple, or cinnamon sticks on hand to use as a garnish. The countdown to the holidays is on!
P.S. You might also like...
- Family photos from Christmas 2016 in San Francisco.
- Rosie's holiday wardrobe from last year.