Mulled Apple Cider
Winter's porch drink
Fresh apple cider simmered with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. A traditional British winter drink — the thing to drink after coming in from the cold. Cider, not juice, is the canonical base: the body and tannins carry the spice properly.
Ingredients
- 8 oz Apple Cider
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 4 Cloves
- 1 piece Orange Peel
Method
Gently heat apple cider in a saucepan with cinnamon stick, cloves, and orange peel. Do not boil. Simmer for 15 minutes to infuse. Strain into a mug. Leave the cinnamon stick in as garnish.
Mulled Cider is an established historical beverage, not a BN original. First recorded mention of the related practice (apple wassail orchard ritual) is 1585 at Fordwich, Kent. The term "mulled" for spiced heated beverages is attested c. 1600 (earliest English documentation circa 1600, possibly 1607 per OED but unconfirmed from opened sources). Evolved as primary winter drink in southwest England cider regions, combining apple cider with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel, simmered gently without boiling. Per Difford's Guide, no drink specifically titled "Mulled Apple Cider" exists; closest variants are "Hot Apple Cider" (#3429) and "Spiked Apple Cider (Hot)" (#1859). Formula draws from British Food History and Twinings sources.