What should I spike my cider with?
November 26, 2014 10:47 AM Subscribe
I plan on serving spiced cider this Thanksgiving, and I'd like recommendations for a brown liquor to spike it with.
What's your favorite to mix with cider, whisky, rum, or brandy? Since there will be a lot of other strong flavors, I'm planning on keeping it pretty basic but Jack Daniels and Bacardi Gold are the only liquors that come to mind. Other options?
What's your favorite to mix with cider, whisky, rum, or brandy? Since there will be a lot of other strong flavors, I'm planning on keeping it pretty basic but Jack Daniels and Bacardi Gold are the only liquors that come to mind. Other options?
I was at aholiday party over the weekend where there was make your own hard cider. Spiced rum was the favorite by a long shot.
posted by phil at 10:53 AM on November 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by phil at 10:53 AM on November 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
If you are willing to be seen with sugar-loaded candy booze, I recommend one of the honey whiskeys, or Jack Daniels has an actual cider whiskey out right now.
There's also cinnamon schnapps, pumpkin pie or pumpkin spice vodka. (There's also whipped cream, birthday cake, or caramel vodka.)
Dark rum, dark spiced rum. I like Kraken black spiced rum because: black rum, spiced, Kraken.
Bourbon might actually be an interesting direction, if you want grown-up flavors.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:54 AM on November 26, 2014
There's also cinnamon schnapps, pumpkin pie or pumpkin spice vodka. (There's also whipped cream, birthday cake, or caramel vodka.)
Dark rum, dark spiced rum. I like Kraken black spiced rum because: black rum, spiced, Kraken.
Bourbon might actually be an interesting direction, if you want grown-up flavors.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:54 AM on November 26, 2014
It's a bit on the nose, but one option would be an apple-derived spirit such as calvados or applejack.
posted by jedicus at 11:12 AM on November 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by jedicus at 11:12 AM on November 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
Calvados is amazing in a hot drink. Highly seconded.
posted by mykescipark at 11:16 AM on November 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by mykescipark at 11:16 AM on November 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
Jaegermeister has a 'spice' version out. Had a crock pot of that+cider out last Thanksgiving and it went sooooo fast. Highly recommended.
posted by theweasel at 11:19 AM on November 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by theweasel at 11:19 AM on November 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
On second thought, after reading under the cut, I second the thought of a nice rye to balance sweetness. Heck, even Dickels would work great.
posted by theweasel at 11:21 AM on November 26, 2014
posted by theweasel at 11:21 AM on November 26, 2014
Best answer: Eww nothing sweet.
Bulleit bourbon is the nicest thing I've tried. You want something dry and strong like that. Sailor Jerry's is good too. Don't go sweet, don't go spiced. It'd like putting flavor syrup in cola or something. It's like a rum and coke, or whiskey coke. But the "coke" is the cider. Mixing two sweet things is an amateur mistake unless everyone involved loves way overly sweet things.
If you can't get Bulleit, pendleton would work in a pinch. But seriously no sweet flavory stuff. The only way this can fail is if you put too much liquor in, and the fail point on that is debatable.
One of the worst drinks I ever made was strong sweet cinnamon liquor and cider. It sat in my fridge for MONTHS as a dare drink no one would take anything but a tiny sip of and retch.
posted by emptythought at 11:29 AM on November 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
Bulleit bourbon is the nicest thing I've tried. You want something dry and strong like that. Sailor Jerry's is good too. Don't go sweet, don't go spiced. It'd like putting flavor syrup in cola or something. It's like a rum and coke, or whiskey coke. But the "coke" is the cider. Mixing two sweet things is an amateur mistake unless everyone involved loves way overly sweet things.
If you can't get Bulleit, pendleton would work in a pinch. But seriously no sweet flavory stuff. The only way this can fail is if you put too much liquor in, and the fail point on that is debatable.
One of the worst drinks I ever made was strong sweet cinnamon liquor and cider. It sat in my fridge for MONTHS as a dare drink no one would take anything but a tiny sip of and retch.
posted by emptythought at 11:29 AM on November 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I would definitely use an unspiced dark rum, like Gosling's Black Seal (warning: obnoxious autoplay music).
posted by 256 at 11:52 AM on November 26, 2014
posted by 256 at 11:52 AM on November 26, 2014
My favourite spiced and spiked cider recipe involves steeping the spices (at least cinnamon and clove, sometimes also nutmeg, star anise, or cardamom) in the cider well beforehand (I usually start a pot of cider in October, and then keep it going all winter until around late March or so, topping up the cider and spices as appropriate--I drink it nearly daily, but only spike it occasionally).
For spiking, I use the darkest, most molassesey unspiced rum that I can get my hands on for spiking it. Usually the rum I end up with is Gosling's Black Seal. The idea behind the super-dark rum is to get all the molasses notes one would expect from brown sugar.
Visiting friends to whom I've served this have compared it with "drinking apple pie".
posted by kiwano at 11:56 AM on November 26, 2014
For spiking, I use the darkest, most molassesey unspiced rum that I can get my hands on for spiking it. Usually the rum I end up with is Gosling's Black Seal. The idea behind the super-dark rum is to get all the molasses notes one would expect from brown sugar.
Visiting friends to whom I've served this have compared it with "drinking apple pie".
posted by kiwano at 11:56 AM on November 26, 2014
Bourbon. Maker's Mark is my fave.
If you're up for a fancy cocktail, here's my spiced cider Manhattan:
1. Make spiced cider reduction. Take 750ml fresh apple cider, a couple cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, and 3 whole allspice. Boil that until it reduces to 375ml, strain, let it cool and pour into a bottle for storage.
2. For each cocktail, stir 2oz bourbon (or rye), 1 oz of the cider reduction, and a dash of orange bitters over ice, strain into either a chilled cocktail glass or a rocks glass with fresh ice. (I'm not much for garnishes, but you could use an apple slice, a twist of orange peel, really even a Luxardo cherry works too.)
posted by dnash at 12:13 PM on November 26, 2014
If you're up for a fancy cocktail, here's my spiced cider Manhattan:
1. Make spiced cider reduction. Take 750ml fresh apple cider, a couple cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, and 3 whole allspice. Boil that until it reduces to 375ml, strain, let it cool and pour into a bottle for storage.
2. For each cocktail, stir 2oz bourbon (or rye), 1 oz of the cider reduction, and a dash of orange bitters over ice, strain into either a chilled cocktail glass or a rocks glass with fresh ice. (I'm not much for garnishes, but you could use an apple slice, a twist of orange peel, really even a Luxardo cherry works too.)
posted by dnash at 12:13 PM on November 26, 2014
I will clearly be revealing my unrefined liquor palate when I say this, but my friends and I have been enjoying cider with caramel vodka (Smirnoff makes one). It's sweet, so it's a one and done deal, but it's pretty tasty.
posted by mzwz at 12:26 PM on November 26, 2014
posted by mzwz at 12:26 PM on November 26, 2014
Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum. That is the absolute best liquor for this application.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 12:27 PM on November 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 12:27 PM on November 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
The wonderful Fort Defiance in Red Hook makes Hot Apple Toddies with cider and (nice) Amaretto. Much less sweet than it sounds and absolutely delicious.
posted by MeadowlarkMaude at 12:33 PM on November 26, 2014
posted by MeadowlarkMaude at 12:33 PM on November 26, 2014
Appleton Estate rum is amazing in cider.
posted by gatorae at 12:40 PM on November 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by gatorae at 12:40 PM on November 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
My current favorite drink is simply a shot's worth of good bourbon mixed (by pouring) with a pint glass of dry cider. It's fantastic, and has earned approving remarks from at least two local bartenders.
posted by Dr. Wu at 12:57 PM on November 26, 2014
posted by Dr. Wu at 12:57 PM on November 26, 2014
Applejack. Similar to Calvados but with an American pedigree so very appropriate to the holiday!
posted by brookeb at 1:11 PM on November 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by brookeb at 1:11 PM on November 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Winter Pimm's in hot apple things. Perfect.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 2:03 PM on November 26, 2014
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 2:03 PM on November 26, 2014
Since the cider is already spiced, I'd avoid adding another spiced component. I'd opt for good old Meyer's Dark Rum.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:04 PM on November 26, 2014
posted by Thorzdad at 2:04 PM on November 26, 2014
I've recently had a lotttt of spiked cider. It's good with dark rum, and it's really really good with maple flavored bourbon. Also had it with cinnamon sugar on the rim. Definitely recommend.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 2:31 PM on November 26, 2014
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 2:31 PM on November 26, 2014
Applejack would be an obvious choice. Spiced rum would work. But last year, I used The King's Ginger for this purpose. It's not as sweet as Domaine de Canton, and it has a malt whisky base. It worked pretty bloody well.
posted by holgate at 4:46 PM on November 26, 2014
posted by holgate at 4:46 PM on November 26, 2014
Butterscotch schnapps and Fireball. It tastes like apple pie.
posted by joycehealy at 7:46 PM on November 26, 2014
posted by joycehealy at 7:46 PM on November 26, 2014
I vote for bourbon and Mrs. mmascolino votes enthusiastically for bourbon. I'd suggest a nice mid-priced bottle like Old Forester or Bulleit or Four Roses Small Batch.
posted by mmascolino at 12:10 PM on November 27, 2014
posted by mmascolino at 12:10 PM on November 27, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks all, in the end I went with Bulleit Bourbon and Gosling's Black Seal Rum. Both of them were delicious, especially the black rum with its deep molasses flavor. You guys have given me a lot of ideas, I can't wait to try some of the other suggestions this winter.
posted by TungstenChef at 10:52 AM on November 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by TungstenChef at 10:52 AM on November 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
« Older New "dream" job is anything but. Now I'm pregnant.... | Help me understand the concept of "85th Percentile... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by quince at 10:50 AM on November 26, 2014 [6 favorites]