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Oranges smoranges! Who said there ain’t no rhyme for oranges?¹ Let’s address the elephant² in the room; this mixologist confesses that mulled and cold are weak rhyming partners, but they are the perfect descriptors for this fizzy phenom. So, we would be thankful for a little latitude regarding our poor rhyming skills³, the payoff will be worth it. Now let’s get to the topic at hand. 

That topic being what to drink in the wake of the gustatory flood we call Thanksgiving. It’s not an easy question to answer, so we considered our options carefully -  

It should definitely be easy to whip up after the week’s arduous cooking duties. It should surely reflect the flavors of the season. It must be nice with leftovers, like a turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwich or maybe brunch featuring Southwest Turkey Hash or Sweet Potato Waffles. It’s November in Illinois, so it could certainly be warm and spicy, but would cool and comforting be a better respite from the richness of holiday fare? 

So many choices but in the end, we decided on cold, fizzy, and refreshing as the perfect antidote to Thanksgiving gluttony. Therefore, we set out to devise a recipe that delivers the flavors of warm, mulled apple cider in a light, bubbly package.  

Once we had made that determination, the drink practically built itself. The magnetic pull of just a few ingredients that come together to create the tried-and-true flavor combination of apple, cinnamon, and allspice was overwhelming and could not be denied.  

Our advice; mix these up all weekend long. Family, friends, conviviality, and of course leftovers await. Now that’s a Thanksgiving recipe for a good time. 

Cheers! 

Cold Mulled Apple Cider

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. Semi-Sweet Hard Cider (we used Schilling Local Legend)
• 1 oz. Cinnamon Whiskey (we used Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire)
• 1/4 oz. Allspice Dram (we used St. Elizabeth)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Garnish: 1 slice of apple

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add Cinnamon Whiskey, Allspice Dram, and lemon juice to an ice filled wine or highball glass.  
2. Top with Cider, stir gently. 
3. Garnish with an apple slice.

Footnotes

1. Witchiepoo from Sid and Marty Krofft’s incredibly weird psychedelic children’s show, H.R. Pufnstuf. 
2. Dorothy - “Supposin’ you met an elephant?” Cowardly Lion - “I’d wrap ‘em up in cello-phant!” Excellent rhyme but save your cello-phant for leftovers. 
3. Even great poets force a rhyme every now and then. Just be glad we didn’t compose this in iambic pentameter.