Aged Spirits Are The Perfect Pairing For Hot Spiked Cider

As winter gets closer, those spices you've been using for pumpkin spice seasoning are also best put to use adding some warm, spicy notes to cider. There are few things more comforting on a cold day than a mug of hot apple cider, after all. The best way to make it is to buy good quality cider and embellish it with your favorite flavors at home. In addition to the sweet, spicy, and citrus notes, a touch of alcohol can do wonders for this winter drink. Yet spiked cider doesn't need to be boozy (though it definitely can be if you prefer). Just a bit of liquor adds depth and complements many of the cider's flavors.

While it won't make a low-quality cider taste like a batch of the good stuff, liquor can make this seasonal winter drink richer and allow you to direct its flavor. You must choose carefully when spiking cider, especially when working with a large batch. To point us in the right direction, we had a chat with content creator and cocktail recipe developer Jordan Hughes. With almost a quarter of a million followers on Instagram, Hughes is a prolific mixologist and spoke to us about using aged spirits in hot spiked cider, saying "I prefer aged spirits like bourbon, brandy, or an aged rum, as spirits aged in wood tend to have flavor profiles and characteristics that pair nicely with or complement cider."

Instead of just using what you may have on hand to spike cider, consider the notes you would like to infuse into the beverage. Bourbon, for example, typically has sour or fruit-like notes. So, if you enjoy citrus in your warm drink, consider an aged bourbon, which is different from a similarly aged scotch. Another favorite hot drink spiker, rum — which tastes great in hot chocolate as well – can also bring out your cider's fruity notes.

Meanwhile, brandy adds sweetness that help bring out the apple as well as spicy flavors in cider. For a truly luxuriant cold-weather drink, consider pairing cider with cognac, which is a unique type of brandy. "I've found that Cognac goes especially well in an unfiltered cider, especially VS Cognac, as many of these cognacs have notes of dried fruit and even winter spices," says Hughes. If  you're adding a relatively pricy liquor, it's all the more important that you use good cider. It's also a good idea to add enough Cognac so you can appreciate its notes through the cider's own dominant flavor.

Since you're mixing it, though, don't reach for your most expensive bottle of aged liquor. Instead, focus on the flavors you want to infuse into your cider and choose according more to flavor than cost. Add the alcohol just before serving for more boozy notes, or earlier (while heating your cider) to subdue them.