{Recipes} Hot Apple Cider Bar & Recipe

For my mother in law’s 75th Birthday Party, we set up a Hot Apple Cider Bar for the guests to enjoy.  Since the party fell on a Sunday afternoon, I didn’t want to make a signature cocktail.  I did, however, want to have an option for a cocktail, if guests wanted that.  Apple Cider was a perfect choice because guests could help themselves to it and could even add a little Bourbon, if they were craving an adult beverage.  If you’ve never had Bourbon in your Apple Cider, now’s the time to try it!  Many guests commented on how the delicious the Bourbon tasted in the apple cider!

In addition to Apple Cider, we set out many add-in options.  The add-ins included: caramel sauce, whipped topping, ground cinnamon, cranberry juice, and Bourbon.  The guests enjoyed the many choices they had for their drinks.  I also placed a customized Apple Cider Bar sign on the bar.

Our apple cider drinks were simply served in white paper cups from Oriental Trading.  I printed party circles on label paper and punched them out to use as stickers for the cups.  Making the party circles into stickers is a great way to incorporate party circles, especially if you are not going to be using cupcake toppers.

I purchased wooden stir sticks online and painted the wooden balls gold.  They were placed in a painted mason jar for guests to use to stir their Apple Cider.

The bar was set up on our built in bar, located in another room than the food.  Whenever we host a party, I always try to set up the drinks in a separate room.  That keeps the bar and food tables from getting too clogged. In addition to the Apple Cider, we also served water and citrus water for those guests who didn’t want Apple Cider.

 

 

Hot Apple Cider

1 gallon apple juice

2 oranges (cut into quarters)

12 whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon ground allspice

cheesecloth

Pour apple juice into large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Place oranges, cloves, and cinnamon sticks into cheesecloth.  Tie into a bundle.  Place bundle into apple juice.  Add allspice to a cider.  Reduce heat to a simmer,  for 20 minutes.  Remove spice bundle.

Serve with  your choice of add-ins:

Bourbon

Cranberry Juice

Ground Cinnamon

Whipped Topping

Caramel Syrup

Or let me know if you have any other great ideas for add-ins!!