Herbed Mulled Cider

Yum

This Herbed Mulled Cider is the perfect companion to any blanketed cuddle sesh with your remote and favorite Netflix show. It has all the normal fall mulling spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg), plus fresh grated ginger, lemon to give it a little kick, and Fall herbs (thyme and rosemary) to round it all out. It also plays nicely with a little (or big) shot of bourbon, gin or mezcal *wink*.

Why you should make Herbed Mulled Cider

Mulled cider is a seasonal must-have. It’s spiced, it’s warm, and it’s delicious. But this particular recipe is a new take on an old classic by adding lemon, ginger, and herbs. It’s everything your Fall and Winter dreams are made of. I particularly like it because:

• There’s very little prep work involved: If you can throw a few things in a pot and slice a lemon in half, you can make this recipe. The stove does the rest of the work.
• It’s got a slightly spicy kick: thank you, fresh ginger.
• It’s the perfect way to use up all your unused herbs: Instead of throwing out all your sad, dead herbs after only using approximately ¼ of the package on Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and swearing you’d find another recipe to use them in, you can actually use them quickly and efficiently, and make a drink to go with your feast.
• It’s excellent for spiking: see above re: bourbon, gin or mezcal and my *wink*

Okay so what ingredients do I need to make Herbed Mulled Cider?

For The Cider

• ½ Gallon of Apple Cider
• 2 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pinch of ground cloves
• ½ lemon
• 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary

For the ‘Secret Sauce’—AKA alcohol (optional)

• 1-2 shots of your favorite booze

For Garnish (optional)

• ¼ cup of fresh cranberries
• Extra sprigs of rosemary
• Extra cinnamon sticks

How do I make Herbed Mulled Cider?

1. Place All Cider Ingredients into a large saucepan

• Add cider, lemon (halved so that you have two quarter pieces), ginger, cinnamon sticks, clove, nutmeg, thyme, rosemary
• If you don’t feel like grating ginger, just slice it into very small, thin slices and throw it in the pot. The holidays are enough work as it is. No one’s going to judge you.

2. Simmer Ingredients

• Turn burner on medium-high heat until cider begins to boil, then turn heat down to medium and allow ingredients to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Be sure to check on the pot every so often as it may begin to bubble over. Keep a wooden spoon nearby to stir ingredients and prevent this from happening.
• Rinse your cranberries, if using, prepare serving glasses.

3. Add Cranberries

• After 15-20 minutes, turn heat off and add cranberries to the pot 5 minutes before serving. This allows the cranberries to warm slightly without cracking too much.

4. Serve

Serve in prepared glasses, spooning a few cranberries in each glass (and a shot or two of your favorite spirit, if spiking). Garnish, if desired, with sprigs of rosemary and cinnamon sticks. Watch my quick video on how to keep your cinnamon sticks upright in your glass here.

TLDR: You just throw a bunch of stuff into a pot and let it simmer then serve and garnish like the pic below, if you want.

Substitutions

Because we’re all just #doingourbest with what we have most of the time, here are some common substitutions for this recipe

• 2 sticks of cinnamon = 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
• ⅛ ground cloves = 1-2 whole cloves
• If you don’t have fresh lemons, omit the lemon altogether vs. trying to use pre-made lemon juice (all the other preservatives won’t taste great in the cider)
• If you don’t have fresh herbs, omit them all together

The Best Alcohol to Use in Mulled Cider

Another one of my favorite things about mulled cider is how versatile it is for pairing. Here are some of my favorites for mulled cider:

• Bourbon—sweet, smoky, spicy (adds just the right amount of alcoholic kick to this drink)
• Mezcal—smoky, sweet (the smokiness + the heat of the drink—YES)
• Gin—floral (from the juniper)—goes well with the aromatics in the herbs
• Fireball—cinnamon-y, light on alcohol flavor, very sweet (a college classic in its rightful place)