It is bloody cold outside! I know it is winter but the beauty of living in Atlanta is that we have a week of cold and then a week of moderate temperatures and it flip flops back and forth until the first bulbs start to pop up in early spring. Then we all worry that there will be one more week of frost that will kill all the early blooming plants and Atlanta’s spring will be ruined. I worry about this each year and each year I am amazed at the beauty of this city in the springtime. Oh, how I am dreaming of full azaleas and gigantic magnolia flowers.
But alas, it is bloody cold outside! So instead I am going to recommend my favorite mulled cider recipe. I’m feeling a big pot of mulled wine is a great way to ring in the New Year (along with a bottle or two of Henriot Champagne)!

Ingredients
* 3 cups apple cider
* 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
* 3 whole allspice berries
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 4 whole cloves
* Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
* 1/2 Granny Smith or other tart apple, cored and sliced thin
* 1/2 cup Calvados, or to taste

In a saucepan stir together the cider, the brown sugar, the allspice, the nutmeg, the cloves, the cinnamon pieces, and the apple, simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes, and stir in the Calvados. Heat the mixture over moderate heat until it is hot and discard the allspice, the cloves, and the cinnamon. Divide the mulled cider among heated mugs and garnish each drink with a few of the apple slices.

The two Calvados we carry…

Daron
Fine Calvados
Pays D’Auge
$36.99

Busnell
VSOP Calvados
Pays D’Auge
$37.99

Tagged as: Liquor