Video Recipe: Mulled Cider from New Day Meadery

Its boutique ciders get a warm reception.
Since opening New Day Meadery in 2006, Brett Canaday and Tia Agnew have grown their business to include carbonated meads, hard ciders, and a couple of one-off barrel-aged sippables. What’s next? “Our big push right now is to get our product into shelf-stable bottles,” says Agnew, who uses one of their top sellers in this recipe for mulled hard cider.

INGREDIENTS

•  2 growlers (64 ounces total) Johnny Chapman Hard Cider from New Day Meadery
•  1/4 cup Wildflower Ridge raw honey
•  Tia’s Mulling Spice Mix*
•  Cinnamon sticks (optional; for garnish)

*Tia’s Mulling Spice Mix
•  1 Tbsp. whole allspice
•  1/2 Tbsp. dried orange peel
•  1/2 Tbsp. dried lemon peel
•  1 star anise

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour the hard cider into a 4-quart stockpot. 
2. Place the mulling spice mixture into a muslin tea bag or metal tea ball and drop into the cider, being sure that the spices do not escape into the liquid.  
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat and discard mulling spice mix.
5. Stir in honey, mixing until dissolved.
6. Pour into heatproof mugs and garnish  with a cinnamon stick, if desired.

Serves 6–8.

Photo by Tony Valainis; video by Felicia Lahti.

This article appeared in the December 2013 issue.