I wonder what season it is
By Katherine
It can be hard to remember the seasons here. Well, summer won’t let you forget it’s summer, but fall can be a tricky beast here in the South. A cool breeze will lull you into thinking autumn is in full swing and before you know it you’re making warm drinks only to remember the high was in the 80s that day. On our first Thanksgiving here, I was so excited to use the fireplace. Bad idea. The oven was on all day and it was in the 70s outside. We had to open every window in the house and pass out cold drinks. So have a hot one on on us, while we save this recipe for January.
Hot cider with a kick
- 12 ounces apple cider
- 3 ounces spiced rum
- 2 tbsp honey
- two thin lemon slices
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 nutmeg pod
In a tw0-quart saucepan, warm honey, cider, lemon slices and whole spices over low heat until nice and warm. Stir occasionally. Don’t allow to boil. Pour 1 1/2 ounces of rum in the bottom of two tall glasses. Pour hot cider into glasses. You can pour over the back of a spoon if the mix is really hot, or use large coffee mugs.
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide 
Maybe I could do hot cider with a kick. I still remember a date I had back in high school. I went to the zoo with a guy (first date I think) and he bought me a hot apple cider. I liked apple cider, so it was all good. One sip and I was in the bathroom spitting it out. Maybe it was the cider, maybe it was the temperature, but I haven’t had one since. 😉
It’s because it wasn’t ChefDad, so the date of course can only be memorable in a bad way!
LOL! That must be it! 😉
Oh…that sounds so good! We’re getting cold nights now and that would keep me nice and toasty! Can’t wait to try it. 🙂
You guys do the best alcoholic drinks. The other great thing I love about your blog is the casual way you throw technique in for us retards, such as: “You can pour over the back of a spoon if the mix is really hot.” Totally awesome.
My favorite kind of fall drink!
I’ve never had hot cider with honey in it …yet.
sadly, we just don’t get decent cider here – but with the addition of another alcohol, it could be improved 🙂
I remember making this drink when I was in school but without the rum of course lol. Can you imagine me drunk. That was just be freaking hilarious lol. But anywho.. I absolutely love this drink.. brings back wonderful memories. Will be making this for sure.. oh and I loved the fireplace story lol
I’ve only recently begun to appreciate cider, but the idea of adding honey sounds fantastic (I always like my alcohol very sweet…but adding sugar seems kind of wrong). What a great way to adapt cider for the cooler months!
Sounds like a wonderful way to warm yourself up from the inside !
Need that in addition to my Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
BTW: my throath is much better today
I love fall, mostly because of special treats like this one. Looks delicious! (By the way, I made the pumpkin bread with chocolate and pecans this week. I served it to friends last night — it was wonderful!).
Wonderful, thanks for telling us!
Excellent alternative to the ubiquitous Christmas mulled wine (at least here it is the only Winter drink I have had).
Love making my own hot cider at home. It’s a shame that I have to pay upwards of $4 for a cup at Starbucks.
Mmm, looks tasty. This would be perfect up here in Boston this week! Maybe I’ll send some cold weather down your way.
Yeah, but like nothing lower than 55 OK?
Spiked cider! Everything’s better spiked 🙂 When it get’s cold here in TX (about Jan or so), we make spiced wine…POTENT stuff!
This may need to be my after dinner drink on Friday….
Your timing couldn’t be better. Our temps took a dive this week and this warm spiced cider sure will come in handy.
This sounds good. I should have had this last week to kick the cold out of me! Keep those drinks coming!
For ME? Why thank you! and coincidently we are making pear cider this weekend, (Johns apple cider is so nasty it is sitting in the basement -sulking) his pear is much nicer! and yes i am sure that would work too! in a while.. c
Oh yum! Love hot cider and now I’m keen to try with rum. But going to have to wait for the southern hemisphere winter I think.
So you have to deal with faking Fall too! I love fall and to have this high temp it’s hard to get fully into the season, but I do anyways! And I would make this cider, I’ll turn up the AC and pour myself a hot, steamy cup!! Just the aroma in the kitchen will make me happy!!
I love spiced cider! And I like your recipe better than mine – mine does not include rum! Guess which I’ll be serving next time it’s cool enough?
It’s raining like crazy here – wind and chilly temperatures included – so a cup of this would be perfect right now 🙂
Oh yeah….that’s what I’m talking about….hot cider, a splash of rum….just the drink for our first day of real fall here in Nashville….yesterday it was 80 degrees, last evening fall crept in with rain & chilly 60 degree weather…Hot Cider with a Kick here I come!
I was a bit concerned Katherine, when I read the title…what? no booze? But lo and behold, there it was…3 oz spiced Rum. This looks DELICIOUS! We’re having a dinner party (actually two, back to back) on the weekend, so I think I will try this one. It looks so satisfying.
When I was around 16, we moved into a townhouse with our very first wood burning fireplace. Needless to say we are all SO EXCITED our first Christmas (you know, chestnuts roasting over an open fire and so on). My Dad and my brother carefully built the fire, but alas, it was one of the warmest Christmas’s ever…windows and doors were thrown open as we all dripped with beads of sweat by the fire. Thanks for the memory!
Like you and Katharine, I’ll have to wait a few more months before needing a hot “toddy” or a hot mulled cider. Not that I’m complaining . . . 😉
Nice one! I’ll have to remember this one.
My kind of drink….but you guys already knew that. 😉
OMG! I cannot wait to make that! How much time do you think it takes. Making cider always says “time commitment” to me. Which is why I’ve never really made it.
Nah, since we used store bought for the drink, it didn’t take long, just long enough to let the honey melt and the flavors meld and for it to warm, 20 minutes at most.
I love cider – so comforting and goes down easy on a cold day.
This is great for the coming cold season at your end, this would be so warming.
I could use a little southern sunshine right about now… cold, damp, dark and dreary. That’s what you’re missing. But, on the days when the sun does shine, fall can indeed be splendid. I like the rum in this drink – rum, for me, is the ultimate comfort, relaxation drink. A perfect pairing with cider.
I could really use some of this right now, it sounds delicious. I’m getting a bit sick as well, so I feel like this would be the perfect drink to warm me up. 🙂
Rum is definitely my drink of choice, so this recipe is right up my culinary alley!
I love hot cider so much. Makes me feel all warm inside just thinking about it =)
Does this count as “mulled” cider, or can you only mull wine? Looks great either way though. Great, warming drink. Love the “kick” too 😀
Big Man adores cider, so I´ll definitely be giving this one a go. Bet it´s great for a cold too!
Lovely!
With snow on the ground…it is certainly time for New Englanders to be having several of these.
Perfect and simple for entertaining! Thanks!
Oh goodness. I wish we could toast some cold ones here in the frigid north :S
Sounds like Kentucky weather for sure. I am dying with a sinus infection from such weather changes here right now. It is in the seventies this week after being in the 30s a few days ago. Love hot cider though and even the thought of it makes me feel better.
Yep, we had our first freeze then it shot back up the 80s. It’s been hovering in the 70s for a while.
haha! Yep, it was about 80 here today. I think you should just crank up (er, down) the a/c and drink this delicious cider!
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