Recipe: Legit Mulled Cider

by | Dec 22, 2017

‘Tis the Christmastide, ready your wassail and boots to march into the apple orchard to chase away the bad spirits. Not a holiday drinking ritual you’re familiar with? The English know it well, having celebrated the custom of wassailing — visiting the orchards and singing to the trees to wish them a good harvest the next year — since the Middle Ages.

Wassail, the drink of wassailing, is essentially mulled — hot and spiced — cider. Depending on where you are, that can be an apple juice base or hard cider as we know it here. For Whitewood Cider, mulled cider is also a holiday season favorite, now served in its new tasting room in downtown Olympia, Washington. In this recipe, the cidery uses two full bottles of a house cider and nearly a dozen spicing ingredients for a warming, welcoming punch to share this Christmas(tide).

Hunker down for the holiday weekend with the recipe for mulled cider, the hard kind.

Mulled Cider
Makes 8-10 drinks

1 1/2 liters (2 750ml bottles) of Whitewood Cider, or other comparable craft cider
1 apple, quartered and studded with whole cloves
2-3 cinnamon sticks
4-5 allspice berries
2 cardamom pods
1-2 star anise
2-inch piece vanilla bean, split
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Juice of 1/2 orange
8-10 orange zest strips
4-6 ounces choice spirit (optional, see below)
Garnish: 1/2 cup cranberries, 8-10 apple slices, 8-10 orange peels

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, careful not to boil. Serve into individual glasses, teacups or mugs and garnish with 2-3 cranberries, an apple slice and orange peel.

If you want to give your mulled cider a “little boost,” Whitewood cidermaker David White suggests using apple spirits like apple brandy, Calvados or even Applejack to taste/strength. His all-time favorite? Uncle John’s apple brandy, but rum or whiskey can also be used.

what’s new

Week of Events

Featured

2025 NW Cider Symposium

Follow US

get the latest

SIGN UP FOR THE CIDERCRAFT NEWSLETTER.

By subscribing online, you are opting in to receive our CIDERCRAFT Insider e-newsletter— with the latest coverage in the cider beverage scene, product reviews, libation destinations, events + more.

Pin It on Pinterest

CIDERCRAFT
Hard cider made some waves this past winter! 🍎✨

From the success of @ciderconference in Chicago to exciting market growth, regional cider heritage, and even smoked cider innovations, the craft cider scene is buzzing. 

Want to know more about these juicy headlines? Check out Cidercraft’s top picks for cider stories this season, now live on our site. Don’t miss this roundup of trends, industry highlights, and new milestones! 

📖 Read the full article at cidercraftmag.com

#CraftCider #CiderCon #HardCider #CiderLovers #DrinkCider
@carlsonshardcider just unveiled a stunning new look for 2025, and we’re here for it. 🙌

Not only is their design getting a glow-up, but they’re also launching exciting new flavors like Cherry, Oak Barrel Blend, Bare Hill Blush, and Peach Cobbler. 🍒🍑

Get the full scoop on their rebranding and taste innovation over on Cidercraft Magazine.

🍏 Read the full article now by heading to the link in our bio.

#CarlsonOrchards #HardCider #Cider
Now Accepting Entries for the 8th Annual Cidercraft Awards!

The Cidercraft Awards return for their eighth year, celebrating the best in cider! The top four winning ciders from each category will receive Platinum, Double Gold, Gold, and Silver medals, creating the ultimate resource for cider lovers and industry professionals.

Tag a cider producer who shouldn't miss this opportunity!

Deadline to submit and receive product is Friday, April 25
Competition will be held on May 13 – 14, 2025
Results will be released on June 12, 2025

Submit Your Cider Now at Cidercraftmag.com
@schillingcider isn’t just changing the way we drink cider—they’re changing the game for sustainability, too.

From fun, flavor-packed ciders like Apple Pie and Mixed Berry to their bold leap in creating climate-neutral 6-packs, Schilling is proving that great taste and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

With a fleet of electric vehicles, recyclable cans, and partnerships to neutralize their impact, this Auburn-based cidery is setting a standard the entire industry should aspire to.

Want the full story behind how Schilling is raising the bar for cider and the planet? Head to Cidercraftmag.com now.

#SchillingCider #ClimateNeutral #CraftCider

Story by Neil Ferguson
Images courtesy @schillingcider
New Release from @starcutciders Toucana is here—crafted with real guava juice for a kick of Caribbean flavor, balanced with crisp apple and a semi-dry finish. Naturally gluten-free, with no added sugar—just real fruit and real flavor. 🍏✨

Now pouring at the Pub and Pull Barn—and hitting shelves soon in Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan!
undefined
Hard cider made some waves this past winter! 🍎✨

From the success of @ciderconference in Chicago to exciting market growth, regional cider heritage, and even smoked cider innovations, the craft cider scene is buzzing. 

Want to know more about these juicy headlines? Check out Cidercraft’s top picks for cider stories this season, now live on our site. Don’t miss this roundup of trends, industry highlights, and new milestones! 

📖 Read the full article at cidercraftmag.com

#CraftCider #CiderCon #HardCider #CiderLovers #DrinkCider
undefined
Share This
Complete your gift to make an impact
Donate