Hot Spiced Cider

There is nothing on earth to compare with genuine fresh from the press Connecticut apple cider. Hanging around the cider mill on a crisp October afternoon and filling your mug from the press spigot is a religious experience, and that homogenized pasteurized filtered supermarket brand name stuff is a sacrilege. Granted that a couple of mugs may do things to your gastrointestinal tract that can qualify you for the centerfold of the AMA Journal, it is nevertheless a classic New England experience not to be missed.

Come the dead of winter though, when the snow is deep and the pond is frozen and your metabolism is convinced that Spring will never come it's time to crank up the crock pot and warm up your cockles. Hot spiced cider will make your heart stop in the summertime...but it's the only way to get through a nasty New England winter with your sanity intact.

Ingredients

1 Gallon of fresh apple cider
2 Cinnamon sticks
12 Whole Cloves
1 Whole Nutmeg quartered
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Optional
1/2 Cup Raisins
1 or 2 Hard Apples quartered
Brandy

Preparation

Pour the cider in a large pot. I like to use an electric crock pot because it's easier to control the temperature and you can put it out for people to serve themselves at their own pace. Add the whole spices and brown sugar and bring it to low heat (don't boil or even simmer) and let the spices do their thing for a half hour or so.

You can use powdered spices for this but they tend to form a nasty looking brown scum on the top after a while. The whole spices flavor the cider and can be removed easily with a slotted spoon or strainer which makes for a nice presentation. You can toss in the fruit while it's steeping. The raisins plump up and the apples cook a bit and the kiddies love them (well, I do too).

Delivery

Ladle the hot cider into a mug (an insulated beer mug if you are going to be outside) and float a mint leaf or chunk of cinnamon stick on top. Add a shot of brandy for extra antifreeze if you must. Now take a walk out on the pond at midnite, look up at the winter constellations and feel sorry for those poor schlubs in Florida who don't know what they are missing.