Ingredients:

  • 2 Liters Unfiltered Organic Apple Cider
  • 500 ml Sparkling Water or Ginger Ale
  • 250 ml Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
  • 3 Whole Cinnamon Sticks
  • 5 Whole Star Anise pods
  • 10 Whole Cloves
  • 2-inch piece Fresh Ginger, sliced into coins
  • 1 tsp Whole Allspice berries
  • 2 Large Honeycrisp Apples, thinly sliced
  • 1 Blood Orange, sliced into wheels
  • 2 tbsp Maple Syrup

Instructions:

  1. Place cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, and allspice berries in a dry 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Toast for 2–3 minutes until the essential oils bloom and the spices become intensely fragrant.
  2. Pour the unfiltered apple cider, orange juice, and ginger slices into the pot with the toasted spices.
  3. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Maintain a 'slow-moving smile' (barely moving simmer) for 45 minutes to extract tannins and aromatics without clouding the pectins.
  4. Remove from heat and strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean pot or punch bowl to remove the whole spices and ginger coins.
  5. Stir in the maple syrup to balance acidity if necessary.
  6. Add the fresh Honeycrisp apple rounds and blood orange wheels to the hot liquid for a fresh infusion of fruit oils.
  7. Just before serving, gently stir in the sparkling water or ginger ale and ladle into heat-proof glass mugs.