Warm Ciders and Brews

Updated December 03, 2007

Come in from the cold to enjoy warm holiday ciders and mulled wine with a touch of spice.

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Sorghum-Cider Punch

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Sorghum-Cider Punch Recipe

Fizzy hard cider and spicy ginger ale add a subtle effervescence. Start with chilled beverages so it's nice and refreshing, and consider adding a decorative ice ring to keep it that way.

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Honey Cider-Beer Cocktails

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Honey Cider-Beer Cocktails Recipe

The cider-honey base of this fall beverage makes enough for both adult and kid twists: one with pale ale, the other with sparkling cider. Beer and cider are refreshing and lower in sugar and alcohol than stronger potions, which tend to go down a bit too easily.

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Applejack-Spiked Hot Cider

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr, Mary Lyn Hill Jenkins

Applejack-Spiked Hot Cider Recipe

Take this drink on the go in a thermos, or let its sweet, spiced scent fill your home. Applejack is a cider-based brandy; Calvados, the French version, would also work in this drink.

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Boozy Root Beer Float

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Boozy Root Beer Float Recipe

The soda shop classic gets a grown-upgrade with the addition of hard root beer and dark rum.  When you need a true “treat yoself” moment, this 3-ingredient, boozy root beer float is just what the doctor ordered. To take down the booze level a bit, simply leave out the rum.  

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Shoo-Fly Punch

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell

Shoo-Fly Punch Recipe

Ginger beer is a nonalcoholic fizzy beverage with a pop of spicy ginger. It's the flavor secret in this spicy but refreshing cocktail.

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Grape-Apple Cider

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Grape-Apple Cider Recipe

Fresh grapes sweeten the cider and turn it a beautiful amber hue. For an adult brew, stir in 1 cup rum just before serving.

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Snakebite

Credit: Christopher Testani; Styling: Paige Hicks

Snakebite Recipe

Adding hard cider to this beer creates a cocktail with a tangy edge and sweet notes to round it out. This cocktail is a perfect way to dress up your beer and create new flavors with any hard ciders that you have on hand. 

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Apple-Cranberry Holiday Wassail

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford, Claire Spollen

Apple-Cranberry Holiday Wassail Recipe

We spiked this punch with dark rum, but it's equally nice with bourbon. Or omit the bourbon altogether for an alcohol-free version of this warming beverage.

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Warm Mulled Cider

Credit: Francesco Lagnese

Warm Mulled Cider Recipe

Simmer this cider on the stove before your holiday gathering to fill the house with scents of the season like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

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Mulled Pomegranate and Red Wine Punch

Credit: Yunhee Kim; Styling: Emma Star Jensen

Mulled Pomegranate and Red Wine Punch Recipe

If you're throwing a big holiday party and your stove is full, use a slow cooker to simmer up this tangy mulled wine. Set up the slow-cooker in the kitchen or on a dining table, and let guests serve themselves.

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Heartwarming Cider

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Heartwarming Cider Recipe

Spiced with the right ingredients--ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg--this classic fall drink is transformed into a festive treat. Optional: Serve with rum.

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Pumpkin Steamers

Credit: Kat Teutsch; Styling: Jerrie-Joy for Pat Bates and Associates

Pumpkin Steamers Recipe

On a cold winter day, all you need to warm up is this steamy, rich pumpkin treat.

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Spiced Caramel Cider

Credit: Oxmoor House

Spiced Caramel Cider Recipe

If you'd prefer a beverage with less spice, try substituting apple juice for the apple cider. It's fantastic either way.

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Spiced Apple Cider

Credit: Oxmoor House

Spiced Apple Cider Recipe

Spiced apple cider is a fun drink to make for your family for a holiday meal or celebration. It's also an amazing pick-me-up on a cold Sunday afternoon while hanging out watching football. If you're serving it at a holiday party for adults, add a shot of spiced rum to each mug. Delicious!

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Spiced Cider

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Leigh Ann Ross

Spiced Cider Recipe

A perfect warm cider for a small gatherings, this holiday brew is made by simmering apple cider with fresh lemon and orange slices, cinnamon, and cloves. Make it up a day in advance and reheat before serving.

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Mulled Cranberry Wine Punch

Credit: James Carrier

Mulled Cranberry Wine Punch Recipe

Steeping fresh cranberries with juice, raisins, and cinnamon sticks starts things off for this mulled punch. But additions of red wine, lemon, almond flavors, and orange liqueur build an evener richer depth of taste. As warming holiday beverages go, this one's a stunner.

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Easy Swedish Glögg

Credit: Charles E. Walton IV

Easy Swedish Glögg Recipe

Similar to a wassail, this spicy sweet beverage warms up even the coldest winter nights. Make the brew up to two weeks ahead in preparation for your holiday gathering.

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Mulled Cider and Wine

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Mulled Cider and Wine Recipe

This warm drink calls for a quick simmer with juices and spices, then an easy addition of red wine just before serving.

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Cider and Spice Bag

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Amy Burke

Cider and Spice Bag Recipe

The spice bag, made with peppercorns, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and citrus rind, adds rich flavor to this easy cider recipe. If your party falls on an unusually warm winter day, try this beverage over ice; it's equally delicious hot or cold.

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Hot Mulled Cider

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Hot Mulled Cider Recipe

Float a few apple slices and some cinnamon sticks in this warming drink.

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Thanksgiving Star Cider

Credit: Scott Peterson

Thanksgiving Star Cider Recipe

Far from the usual, this warm cider is made with pear nectar, red wine, and honey that's steeped with star anise and dried hibiscus blossoms. Star anise, found in Asian markets or on the spice aisle at the supermarket, gives it a licorice-like flavor.

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Apricot-Apple Cider Sipper

Apricot-Apple Cider Sipper Recipe

A hint of apricot and sweet spices give this citrus apple cider a clean, refreshing flavor. Perfect to serve at holiday gatherings, book clubs, or for carolers, the recipe makes 20 cups. Keep it warm in a crock pot and let guests serve themselves.

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Pineapple Wassail

Pineapple Wassail Recipe

Typically wassail (Norse for "be in good health") is a spicy-sweet, wine-based holiday punch. This alcohol-free version steeps spices with a blend of fruit juices instead: pineapple juice, apricot nectar, o.j., and apple cider. The kids are gonna love it.

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Warm Hazelnut Toddy

Credit: Francesco Lagnese

Warm Hazelnut Toddy Recipe

Curl up by the fire with this simple beverage that takes less than a minute to make. Simply combine hazelnut-flavored liqueur with hot water then top with whipped cream.

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Spiced Pomegranate Sipper

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Spiced Pomegranate Sipper Recipe

Pomegranate, white grape, and pineapple juices simmer with cinnamon, clove, and ginger to make a fragrant, elegant beverage for a special holiday dinner or gathering.

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Hot Mulled Cider

Credit: Randy Mayor

Hot Mulled Cider Recipe

Almost like a chai tea, this fragrant hot beverage steeps apple cider, a splash of orange juice, and all your favorite masala spices, including cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorn, and cloves. A few slices of fresh ginger give it a soothing zing.

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Mulled Cranberry-Apple Cider

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Mulled Cranberry-Apple Cider Recipe

Simmer some apple pie goodness on the stove with this wonderfully fragrant cranberry-apple cider beverage. It's warm and full of all those familiar pie spices, everything from cinnamon to nutmeg to cloves. But it comes packaged without a lot of calories and fat.

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Orange Spiced Cider

Orange Spiced Cider Recipe

Bottled apple cider, pantry spices, and dark rum come together with a little orange peel to make a simple apple cider with a big heartwarming kick. But you can easily leave out the rum (and add it after cooking) so the kids can imbibe too.

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