Mulled Cider

This cider drink is the quintessential hot mulled cider cocktail. It is colonial and rich, with gold rum, cider and spices. While you can make it with any brown spirit and cider, there's something about the old world taste of rum that clinches it.

Interestingly enough, "gold rum" does not denote a particular category. It refers vaguely to the color of the rum, which may be lighter or darker depending on age and blending. To prove this point, Cruzan labels all their rums, light, gold and dark as simply aged rum. The color, not the label is the only visible difference between them and is a result of the blending decisions. In fact, gold rum is created by blending light and dark rums--but it also may contain caramel as a cheap way to achieve the color of an aged rum.

I blended Cruzan aged rum with the very dark Pampero Venezuelan rum. Both are aged and contain no added caramel. You can chose to blend yourself, or open a bottle of brownish (not-spiced) rum to go with your home-spiced cider.

• 2 oz. gold (aged blended) rum
• 6 oz. apple cider
• 1 tsp. honey
• cinnamon stick
• grated nutmeg
• lemon peel

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until well heated but do not boil. Pour into a heated coffee mug. 

Mulled Cider

I love a good mulled cider in winter, but I've never made one before. When you get a store brand, you never know what ingredients go into them, but there's almost never a decent rum in the mix.

Making your own mulled cider is easier than it looks and requires little prep time. This recipe is for a single serving. If you scale it up, you might want to put the spices in a sachet to prevent them from filling up the last glass you pour with a spicy mud.

• 2 oz. gold rum
• 6 oz. apple cider
• 1 tsp. honey
• cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• lemon twist
• grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except cinnamon stick in a saucepan and warm it on low heat while stirring. Bring it almost to boiling and pour into a warm mug. Garnish with the cinnamon stick.