I know the elections and over, and no one wants to hear about it anymore, but I’m really into flag hair lady. She is the new NASA man with the mohawk. It’s hilarious to me that people get so captivated by these kinds of things, and weirdly thrust these people into twitter / internet / meme fame. I love it. I just wonder at what moment when she got home did she realize she was internet famous? And why did she decide to put that flag in her hair anyway? Was her arm tired? I really hope someone does an interview so all of my flag hair lady questions will be answered.
Onto this drink. I have always loved all things apple drink. I grew up on Martinellis Apple Juice (from costco of course), and Sparkling Apple Cider is one of my favorites. The mom and dad even had Martinellis on their first date in the move Parent Trap (the original, always) which was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I have always loved this stuff. So when we wanted to make a yummy fall cocktail the cider was the obvious choice. Not to mention we could put cute apple stars in the drink. How do you like them apples? (had to, sorry).
♥ Teri
Honeycrisp & Bourbon Spiced Cider
Ingredients
- 6 cups honeycrisp cider or any apple cider of your choice
- peel of 1 lemon (removing all the pith)
- 10 whole cloves
- 5 cardamom pods
- 3 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ piece of fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar (optional)
- 2 cups bourbon
garnish
- 2 honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced crosswise about ¼-inch thick or sweet apples of your choice
Instructions
- Place cider, lemon peel, cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and sugar into a medium pot and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, cover, remove from heat, and steep for 1 hour. Place mixture over stove again and heat through until warmed.
- Strain mixture and stir in bourbon.
- To serve: Using a 1 ½ -2 inch circle cutter, cut star centers out from the thin slices of apple and remove any remaining seeds. Pour cider into individual mugs and top with “stary” apple cut outs and serve.
This looks delicious – I made a similar (but cold) version of this last time we were tailgating. I used TJ’s spiced cider with bourbon, lemon juice, and ginger ale. It’s was a big hit since KY is the bourbon state! I can’t wait to try this hot version – yum!
This looks so good! The star anise and the apples are just so beautiful – and the flavor, mmmm, I want!
I actually sourced some mugs just like that for a shoot recently! I can’t recall now if we ended up using them. But they are super cool! What a coincidence. And the cider looks delicious.
Great mugs, do you recall the source? Thanks in advance
Haha I didn’t know the flag hair lady was popular! I definitely noticed her…but mostly because the guy standing behind her seemed so dang miserable and I was watching him, hoping for some sign of emotion!
Ahahaha!! I LOVE that you mentioned the guy behind the flag lady…my boyfriend and I were staring at him being like, “Should he be in Boston or something?” So glad someone else saw that. :)
Can we just talk about how honey crisp apples are the best apples ever? Love what you did with the cut out stars!
Yes, please! I’ll take a whole pitcher!
Cute! I love the touch of the apple core matching the star anise!
Well, this looks delightful. Must remember to acquire apple cider in the near future. (Bourbon and apples we already have, naturally.)
I love the garnish with this drink. Sounds delicious….Since I’m preggers, I’ll have to wait until next year to try it though :(
Martinelli’s was my childhood drink too! I always had it on special occasions and felt so fancy. This cider recipe sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it!
great photos! I love this recipe!
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In the picture above, what are the green dollops?
They are cardamom pods! I forgot to include them in the recipe and it’s one of my favorite things about this drink! Will be adding shortly, thanks!
These spices make every drink perfect for a winter evening and I also love the colors! Actually, these are the same spices I use when I make mulled wine for Christmas!
Mulled wine?!…sounds yum!
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Looks amazing. I will need to try this soon!
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Love the stars in the apples next to the star anise! I love cider too, this sounds amaaazing.
Ooh, ooh, I DID see an interview with flag lady! Here’s what happened: she said she had too much stuff in her hands and just stuck that flag in her hair without thinking, like you would stick a pencil in your bun or something. She didn’t realize that she had become “famous” until the news station CALLED her to interview her! Mysteries: solved. :) This looks delicious, by the way – I’m needing a new seasonal drink!
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What a lovely post!
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I can’t wait to try the Honeycrisp and bourbon spiced cider. My husband and I love cider. Perfect for the cooler months.
Oh wow…how did I miss this post! Thank the gods I scrolled through your site today! I adore bourbon and apples – so this is the bees knees! I may be having this for a nightcap…
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Which bottle of bourbon do you recommend? I’m super excited to make this tomorrow night!
My top three would be Bulleit, Knob Creek and Makers Mark!
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this looks great ,I cant wait to try but I want to ask you can you bottle this drink up in a wine bottle to make large amounts, and if you can how long can you store it and where can to store it at the in the fridge
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