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I hate to give away all of my secrets… But may I be so bold as to suggest, you brew this up on a bone chill night when the moon is full. There is something absolutely euphoric about this elixir. I made it for a bank office party once & the men folk followed me around all evening. I kid you not.

serves 8- 2 cocktails each (makes 2 quarts)

Wendi’s Mulled Cider

• 2 quarts of apple cider (unfiltered apple juice)

• 2 cups unsulfured dried apple slices

• 1 orange sliced

• 2 tangerines sliced

• 2 lemons sliced

• 3 star anise

• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half, seeds removed (save seeds for another recipe as these are worth they’re weight in gold)

• 1 Tbsp. cloves (stud orange slices)

• 3 cinnamon sticks
  
  
  

To make the hard cider

• 1 bottle 151 Rum (I highly recommend Lemon Hart & Son)

• 1 bottle Tuaca

• 1 whole nutmeg

• ground cayenne

Place first listing of ingredients from cider through cinnamon sticks in a crock pot, instant pot or large sauce pot. Cover & simmer very low for a minimum of two hours. This cider is delightful on it’s own or make a hard cider using the recipe below.

Howl at the Moon Hard Cider | Stiff

• 4 oz. spiced cider (from above)

• 3 Tbsp. 151 Rum

• 1 Tbsp. Tuaca

• 4 passes of freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 pinch of cayenne

Ladle 4 oz. of cider into a glass mug, add rum & Tuaca. Dust the top of the cocktail with freshly grated nutmeg & a pinch of cayenne. Garnish with a butter sauteed lemon slice & a cinnamon stick if desired.

Howl at the Moon Hard Cider | Slow & Easy Sipper

• 6 oz. spiced cider

• 2 Tbsp. 151 Rum

• 2 Tbsp. Tuaca

• 4 passes of freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 pinch of cayenne

Ladle 6 oz. of cider into a glass mug, add rum & Tuaca. Dust the top of the cocktail with freshly grated nutmeg & a pinch of cayenne. Garnish with a butter sauteed lemon slice & a cinnamon stick if desired.

Chef Notes:

• I created this winter cocktail a decade ago & at that time, the only 151 rum that you could find was made by Bacardi. This go around I only found one company making 151- Lemon Hart & Son with a pretty hefty price tag. But being the purist that I am, I reluctantly handed the clerk my debit card & left with my rum & Tuaca. Let me just say this here & now, I am not a big rum girl but this rum was worth every single penny. The deep molasses grabs you by the throat yet finishes smooth. With hints of burnt caramel, ripe banana & baked apple, it was almost as if it was created for this drink. Do not waste your time with any other rum. I’m adding it to my bar repertoire.

• Tuaca. An Italian blended brandy with vanilla & citrus overtones. This decadent liqueur adds the Je ne sais quoi (French for that certain something…) to mixed drinks.

• Dried apples over fresh. I prefer the concentrated sweetness from a dried apple but you may use fresh if desired.

• Nutmeg is known to be an aphrodisiac & cayenne speeds metabolism. Thus the combination of the two, laced over the top of this concoction, serves to emphasize the warming sensation. I recommend that you don’t skip either.

Drink in the warmth of the moment with this sultry blues song from Shawman’s Harvest.