If youre like me, you love to relax at night with a warm beverage. Even in the midst of summer, Ill always make a cup of peppermint tea to sip on after dinner. Its like the perfect cozy ending to my day. Recently, a new steamy concoction though: hot spiced cider! Okay, so I know hot cider isnt really a new idea, but its new to me this season.
We have the most delicious local apple cider produced right where I live, and that makes for extra yummy hot spiced cider. I love the blend of warming spices and stirring my cider with a cinnamon stick.
My variation uses a small amount of brown sugar, but you could omit this if you are sensitive to sugar or dont like sweet beverages. Ladle this hot cider into thermoses and take it with you to the pumpkin patch this weekend. Or, for a more grown up variation, add a splash of bourbon.
Hot Spiced Apple Cider

Add a little sweetness with brown sugar for a steamy concoction during the colder months of the year. Food blogger Jenna Weber shares why she loves this warm beverage in a full post on hot spiced apple cider for the Fresh Tastes blog.
- 4 cups apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- pinch of nutmeg
Ingredients
- Bring all ingredients to a boil on the stove.
- Simmer for 10 minutes then strain into cups.
- Serve warm mugs with cinnamon sticks on the side.
Directions
Yield: 1 quart
Jenna Weber is half of the Fresh Tastes blog team. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2008 and, since then, has worked as a pastry chef, bread baker and freelance food editor. Currently, Jenna blogs full-time on EatLiveRun.com where her delicious daily recipes and quirky culinary musings appeal to thousands. She lives in Northern California and, when not in the kitchen, can usually be found on her yoga mat.