Apple-Pie Spiced Cider

Martha’s spiced cider recipe is the ultimate cool-weather drink. Flavored with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, and sweetened lightly with a touch of brown sugar, it has all the flavor of a slice of apple pie and is perfect for fall and winter entertaining. Even better, by using mostly ground spices, you won’t have to strain the mixture before serving—simply ladle it directly into mugs and garnish each one with a cinnamon stick. If you’re serving this to adults, consider adding half of a cup of brandy—try it with Calvados, the delicious apple brandy that hails from Normandy—or work in another dark spirit like bourbon or rum.

What You'll Need for Apple-Pie Cider

Cider: Apple cider is widely available in the fall, when orchards press their apples to make it fresh. Fresh-pressed (or orchard-fresh) cider has the best, most pure flavor, but because it hasn't been pasteurized, it shouldn't be served to very young children, pregnant women, or anyone with a compromised immune system. You can sometimes find pasteurized cider year-round at the grocery store.

Spices: A blend of spices, including allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, brings serious apple pie flavor to this recipe. Except for the cinnamon stick, we use ground spices for this recipe so there's less to fish out or strain before serving.

Sweetener: To mimic the delicious sweetness of apple pie, we add a small amount of brown sugar along with the spices. You can use light- or dark-brown sugar, just note that dark brown sugar will have a more pronounced molasses flavor.

Alcohol: While this spiced cider is fantastic on its own, it becomes extra festive and warming when spiked with a little brandy. Calvados, a French brandy made from apples, is our pick for this recipe, but another type of brandy would also work well.

Why We Always Use Freshly Ground Nutmeg

This recipe leans primarily on pre-ground spices for ease, but we make an exception for nutmeg. That's because the pre-ground kind loses its flavor quickly and can't compare to the deep, spicy complexity of freshly grated nutmeg.

Fortunately, grating it yourself is simple—just use a microplane; there's no need to dig out your spice grinder. As a bonus, whole or partially grated nutmeg can be stored for years without any noticeable loss of flavor—just be sure to store it in an airtight container.