KEEP COZY WITH THESE WINTER COCKTAILS

We’re indoors much more, so we are embracing those moments where we hosting our friends and loved one indoors. Here’s a set of winter cider cocktails you can make for the group. Cider is a great cocktail ingredient thanks to its crisp and dry characteristics, while still having delicate apple flavors and complexity from barrel-aging that make work equally well in drier, sweeter, or even warm cocktails. Enjoy!

Wassail:

Mulling spices (you can either place these in a cheesecloth bag, or keep them loose):

  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1/4 c brown sugar
  • 1 whole allspice
  • 1 juniper berry

Cider:

  • 4 c Virtue Cider Michigan Apple
  • 2 c non-alcoholic cider
  • a bit of your favorite spirit (whiskey, rum, brandy, etc.)

Instructions:

  1. Heat all ingredients in a saucepan, but take care not to boil.
  2. Add any spirits with the heat source off.
  3. Ladle around the spices and serve in your favorite mug.
  4. Garnish with apple slices.

Michigan Old Fashioned:

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ oz Virtue Cider Michigan Cherry
  • 1 ½ oz whiskey
  • 3 dashes orange bitters
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • ¼ oz maple syrup
  • Orange peel garnish
  • Ice

Instructions:

  • Stir ice, both bitters, maple syrup, and whiskey in a mixing glass.
  • Strain into Old Fashioned glass over cubed ice, top with cider, add garnish.

Brut Buck:

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Virtue Cider Michigan Brut
  • 1 oz dry gin
  • 1 oz ginger liqueur
  • ½ oz simple syrup
  • ½ oz lime juice
  • Slice of ginger and lime wheel for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Hard quick shake: ice, gin, ginger liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup.
  2. Strain in a Collins glass.
  3. Fill glass with ice, top with cider, add garnish.

Brut ‘Champagne’ Toast

Ingredients (this one’s very, very simple!)

  • 12 oz Michigan Brut
  • Raspberry for garnish
  • 2 Champagne flutes

Instructions:

  1. Split Michigan Brut between two Champagne flutes (long-pour the cider from a porron for maximum bubbles).
  2. Drop a raspberry at the bottom of each glass.
  3. Toast with your favorite person.

You can find more of our cider cocktail recipes here.

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