Hot Gold Apple Cider

Hot Apple Cider
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 15 servings
Yield: 7 cups

Few things are as warm and comforting on a chilly day as a steaming cup of hot apple cider. Adding a little liquor to the brew makes it even better (and a bit warmer as well).

This is a simple punch that adds rum and cinnamon to spice up and spike that cold weather favorite. Plus, there's a little sparkle thanks to the tiny gold flakes found in Goldschlager. It's a wonderful punch for autumn and winter parties and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. 

The beauty of the hot gold apple cider is that it is easy to make. Simply pour everything into a pot on the stove, ​a slow cooker, or an insulated punch bowl and gently warm it up. It fills the house with a lovely, inviting aroma and allows guests to ladle drinks as they please.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large pot, combine all the ingredients.

  3. Stir and cover. Heat and slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

  4. Lower the heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

  5. Transfer to an insulated punch bowl and serve in mugs, or keep it covered on the stove and heat it up periodically. Enjoy.

This recipe can easily be adapted to create as many servings as you like. Downsize it for a small party or a snowy day at home or increase it for a larger crowd; simply retain the ratio of the three liquids. And, you will not hurt it one bit if you do pour in a little extra rum or Goldschlager.

Slow Cooker Method

If you prefer, this warm punch can be prepared and served in a slow cooker. It's a hassle-free way to set up the punch for party service, especially if your stovetop is tied up with food or you have to transport it.

Simply combine the ingredients in your slow cooker, stir it, and set it on the low setting for 2 to 3 hours. Stir the punch occasionally. If needed, you can set the cooker on the warm setting for another hour or two. 

Adding the Spices

One of the highlights of this punch is the gold flakes of Goldschlager. Since you don't want to lose any of that, it's best not to strain out the spices once the punch reaches its peak flavor. While it doesn't hurt to leave them in for the duration, you can easily remove them by placing the allspice and cloves into a mesh tea ball beforehand. The cinnamon sticks are easy to fish out with a large spoon.

Choosing the Rum

Even though dark rum is recommended, nearly any rum you have in stock will do. This spiked hot cider recipe works well with Bacardi Gold, or any other flavor of rum you prefer. However, the flavor of the apple and cinnamon set against a dark or aged rum really does set it off nicely. Since entertaining a crowd typically means having a budget in mind, consider choosing a good but affordable rum like Appleton Estate Gold or Cruzan Aged Dark.

You may actually find it best to avoid spiced rum. The spices in the punch take care of the flavoring and adding more via rum is unnecessary. Quite honestly, it almost ruins the punch.

How Strong Is the Hot Gold Apple Cider?

Goldschlager is 87 proof and when paired with an 80-proof rum, the hot gold apple cider can be a pretty potent punch. It weighs in with an alcohol content of around 18 percent ABV (36 proof). Watch out for guests who may get a little tipsy. It really is so delicious that it's hard to stop drinking it.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
158 Calories
0g Fat
25g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 15
Amount per serving
Calories 158
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 20g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 75mg 374%
Calcium 49mg 4%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 226mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)