There’s a little part of me, the size of a pinky finger, that wishes I was a
shrewish writer. That I could wear the dark wood office look, don a
smoking jacket and pull out brown booze every time writer’s block kicks in.
But that’s not my life (because I’m not a man, nor am I a great writer, nor do
I live in the 1950s) and so I channel desires into cocktails like this Smoked
Whiskey Apple Cider.
When the weather cools down, I want a drink that will warm me from the
inside out and keep me going regardless of the temperature and, let’s be
honest, nothing helps more than a shot of good liquor. Nothing except a
spiced and flavoured apple cider with the smoky taste of lapsang souchong
tea. It’s a smoky tea that’s too much for me on its own, but it’s a big hit in a
drink like this.
Ingredients
- 8 cups unfiltered apple cider
- 1 Fuji apple
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 sliced medium orange
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lapsang souchong smoked tea (about 6 tea bags)
- 1 cup aged rum, whisky or bourbon
Instructions
1. Boil apple cider over low heat: Fill a medium saucepan with apple cider,
apple, cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and honey, and bring to a
boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and allow cinnamon
and cloves to stir until desired strength is reached, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add the smoked tea and serve: Remove the lid, raise the heat and bring
back to the boil. Once the boil is reached, stir in the lapsang souchong
tea, reduce the heat to a simmer and let steep until the desired strength is
reached, about 4-6 minutes. Strain the mixture, stir in the alcohol and
place in mugs or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight
container in the refrigerator. Serve warm.
Smoked Whiskey Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 8 cups unfiltered apple cider
- 1 Fuji apple
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 sliced medium orange
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lapsang souchong smoked tea (about 6 tea bags)
- 1 cup aged rum, whisky or bourbon
Instructions
1. Boil apple cider over low heat: Fill a medium saucepan with apple cider, apple, cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange slices and honey and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and allow cinnamon and cloves to stir until desired strength is reached, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add the smoked tea and serve: Remove the lid, raise the heat and bring back to the boil. Once the boil is reached, stir in the lapsang souchong tea, reduce the heat to a simmer and let steep until the desired strength is reached, about 4-6 minutes. Strain the mixture, stir in the alcohol and place in mugs or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve warm.
