This is PHENOMINAL! Just perfectly delicious. I just added one thing which is an old trick I recently learned from a New York State apple farmer who's family has been making hot cider for 150 or so years. Thinly slice and or chop up some McIntosh apples including the peel into small pieces and drop a small bunch of the apple pieces into each cup of hot cider just before serving. This makes a wonderful addition to this recipe, which I would say is the best hot cider I have ever tasted. Thanks so much for posting this great recipe. IT IS WONDERFUL!
Everyone who is has tried this thinks it's wonderful! I made some in a crockpot at work and the citris turned it bitter after a few hours so be sure to remove the peels if you're letting it simmer for a long time.
Instead of going through all the trouble to buy cinnamon sticks, I used: 1 tsp. Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves and put that in a bot and stirred until it was hot.
This was a big hit at my party! It was unseasonably warm that day, so many people let the cider cool off before they drank it, and it was still great. I took the advice of several reviewers. To cut down the sweetness I started with a "natural" pressed cider (read: No Sugar Added) and I used all the maple syrup called for, but I used a syrup that had less sugar in it ("light"). The fruit I just sliced up and let float (but removed it after about an hour), and I used ground cinnamon (1 tsp) and ground allspice (1/2 tsp). I will definitely be making this again!!
I put the spices and fruit peels in the ground tray of my coffee urn and brewed it that way. Worked great and was a big hit at my party.
OMG!!! Best cider I have ever served and I am already making plans to incorporate this into our holiday festivities! I didn't have the allspice berries but I assure you ~ this recipe is awesome and worth the little effort you have to invest in making it! Highly recommend - esspecially if you want to impress your loved ones this season! Thanks a TON Stella!
This was very good. I did change it a bit. I used a cup more juice a little more syrup and instead of peels I just sliced half and orange and a whole lemon and simmered them with everything about 20 minutes. The whole family loved it.
Absolutely the best cider recipe out there. I didn't even bother with the bag. It looked so pretty with fruit slices and whole spice floating on top. It went FAST and made the whole house smell delicious.
I did cheat and combine two cider recipes I found on Allrecpes - I used this as the base, then tossed in 6 packets of mandarin orange tea and a boquet garni (made out of a coffee filter that I stapled closed) with 6 whole cloves, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. ground allspice). I scaled the recipe to 1 gallon and poured it into my big crockpot a few hours before my holiday party. Once it was hot, I added a dollop of butter (about 2-3 tbsp). It sounds crazy, but a little butter adds a smooth richness and concentrates the flavors. Trust me. The hot cider was a massive hit! I had another gallon of cider and as people dipped out of the crockpot, I topped it off with fresh cider and a little more maple syrup. I kept a bottle of Captain Morgan's spiced rum next to the hot cider so people could make it a little more "merry" if they wished. My two gallons of cider was inhaled by 14 people in less than an hour and everyone was begging for the recipe. I made it again for Christmas Day brunch and kept it going through the day, with the same rave reviews (but a different group of drinkers). The maple syrup and butter are key to the great flavor. I also served Gingerbread Man shooters (equal parts Baileys, butterscotch schnapps, & cinnamon schnapps, w/ a splash of vodka) topped w/ whipped cream - a fun pairing of drinks for the holidays!
