My Go-To Holiday Cocktail Is the Apple Cider Old-Fashioned

This classic recipe from Deb Perelman is a pot of aromatic, simmering apple cider. Crazy kitchen keeper It starts when you turn cider into a sweet concentrate. Then add bourbon, bitters, and ice to create the perfect at-home cocktail that disappears as quickly as a giant cheese ball. (I mean, very!)

Why this recipe is important to me:
* Makes 6 servings, but can easily be doubled to make a larger batch.
*Up to 1 item is possible! month! First!
* Tastes like visiting a cider factory in the height of autumn
* Concentrated cider can also be used to make mocktails for kids and non-drinkers (just add seltzer).
*Everyone I served it to swooned with happiness

I highly recommend buying garage sale if you offer vintage holiday glasswareeverything will be delicious.

If you’re using grocery store cider, you might also add a cinnamon stick, star anise, or orange peel to enrich the flavor. Burlap and Barrel Pumpkin Pie Spice 2.0 What I’m obsessed with.

When it comes to alcohol, I love bourbon because it is made from at least 51% corn and corn is sweet. This, combined with aging in oak barrels, gives it a warm dessert aroma that pairs well with cider. Rye has a sharper, stronger flavor of rye fruit, so use it if you want something more boozy. Or use a peaty scotch to put the hair you need on your chest. Please keep warm in winter.

Fun fact: Crazy kitchen keeper It just came out as audio book. Hear Deb’s warm voice tell the story behind each recipe, or follow along with the instructions below.

old fashioned apple cider

1 quart (4 cups, or 950 grams) regular or spiced apple cider
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin or apple pie spice (If the cider does not contain spices)
12 shakes of orange or Angostura bitters (Don’t skip! This makes everything rounder and doesn’t taste like booze or juice)
2 cups (475 grams) of rye or bourbon whiskey (more as needed)
ice
Apple slices for garnish (or them dry orange wheel from trader joe’s)

It is made by concentrating cider. Boil the apple cider and spices (if using) in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over high heat until slightly darkened and syrupy, then reduce to about 2/3 cup. It takes about 25-30 minutes on my stove. Stir occasionally, especially near the end, if you want to keep it from overcooking. (This won’t ruin your drink, but it may thicken the texture and make it harder to keep stirring.)

Mix with whiskey: Cool to room temperature. Next, whisk in the bitters. In a thin stream, slowly whisk the whiskey until homogeneous. Taste and add up to 1/2 cup more whiskey if needed. Transfer the mixture to a covered carafe and cool completely until ready to serve.

To provide: Fill a 6-ounce Old Fashioned glass with one large ice cube or several small ice cubes. Once the apple cider has accumulated in the carafe, stir it again and pour it over ice. Garnish with apple slices, if using, and toast to the new season.

What are your thoughts? What drink do you enjoy on holiday?Hot chocolate? Cold wine?

PS 5 fun things I noticed at drinking parties and how to host a cookie exchange party.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Keepers: A new classic for everlasting files Written by Deb Perelman. Copyright © 2022 Deb Perelman. Excerpted with permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without written permission from the publisher.