Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Old drink, new trick: Spiked cider


It has been uncharacteristically chilllly in SF lately. Like, east coast cold. The only solution, as far as I'm concerned, is to get some bourbon running through your blood. And this time of year, it's all about spiking some mulled cider with it.

Last Saturday, I bundled up and headed to Outerlands in the Outer Sunset, where they were serving a hot ginger apple lemon and Asian pear cider with scotch. Now that will warm you right up.

I've spiked cider before (basically by dumping in some brown liquor) but was intrigued by these extra tasty ingredients--particularly the ginger, which is pretty much a cure all for everything. So I cobbled together a knock-off recipe of sorts:

4 cups of cider or unfiltered apple juice (these are pretty much the same)
1 tablespoon of mulled spices (cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves, etc)
1/2 tablespoon of peeled, sliced fresh ginger
A few thin slices of lemon, juice from one wedge
4 to 8 ounces of bourbon (I used Bulleit - you gotta go Kentucky with bourbon)
Apple slices, if you please

Heat the cider, spices, ginger and lemon in a sauce pan on the stove on medium heat for around 10 to 15 minutes. (Conveniently, this makes your home smell amazing.) Stir in the bourbon, pour into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick, lemon wedge and/or apple slice. Sip and warm the hell up!


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