Borderline Millennials

View Original

Spiced Apple Cider

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve LOVED hot apple cider. It’s the ultimate cozy drink (right after hot chocolate, of course). 

Hot apple cider was that one drink that made me feel like I was an adult when I was really just a cute little ten-year-old girl. There was something about the color, temperature, and flavors that made this drink so sophisticated. I felt so posh whenever I poured myself a cup of cider.

Then, I got older and learned that the hot apple cider I used to drink was just the tip of the adulthood iceberg. The *real* adult apple beverage is spiced apple cider. Or, as I like to call it, spiked apple cider!

That’s right, it’s a true alcoholic beverage because it not only is made with some delicious, seasonal alcohol, but it’s also made in a slow cooker! It doesn’t get any more adult than that.

I finally got my first slow cooker in May as a birthday gift from my sister and brother-in-law, and in that instant, I felt like a real adult. Now, that I’ve made some delicious apple cider, I KNOW I am officially an adult! 

Nothing can compare to the sense of pride you feel when you’ve perfected a slow-cooker meal/beverage, and I’m about to help you get on this level too! So, here it is. The Borderline Millennials Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Cider Recipe.

Equipment Needed:

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

  • 8 Cups Unfiltered/Organic Apple Juice

  • ¼ Cup Brown Sugar

  • 4-6 Cinnamon Sticks

  • 2 Tsp. Whole Cloves

  • 1 Packet of Star Anise

  • 1 Oranged Slice

  • 1 Apple Sliced

  • 400 ml Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple Whiskey (approx ½ a bottle)

Instructions:

  1. Combine apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and a single star anise in your slow cooker. Stir.

  2. Place the apple and orange slices on top of the liquid. Cover.

  3. Cook on HIGH for 1 ½ hours if you’re in a rush, or on LOW for 3 hours.

  4. At the beginning of the third hour, add the whiskey and gently stir. Cover.

  5. Once it’s done, remove the cinnamon sticks and serve. Garnish each glass with a fruit slice and a star anise.

  6. Enjoy!