Spiced Rum Cider

this is the perfect winter hot cocktail for those super blustery days. it is easy to make and something that you can also whip up sans booze, and in very large batches at very low costs (good for big gatherings). to me this hot cocktail always smells like the holiday season and creating it makes the whole house smell just perfect.

You will need:

• a medium sized pot
• 1 jug of apple cider
• 1 ounce of black spiced rum
• 1 apple
• 1 orange
• 8 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• allspice

The How To:

dump the entire jug of apple cider in the pot. peel your apple and drop the peel into the pot. take your naked apple and place your cloves into the flesh all over, then drop that as well into the pot. next cut your orange into slices and place all of it in, along with 2 cinnamon sticks and a dash of all spice. then let the mixture come to a good simmer for about 15-20 mins. strain the liquid to remove all the cooked fruit and spices. warm your mugs in hot water under the tap and then add 1 ounce of black spiced rum (for anyone who hasn't tried the Kraken, I highly recommend it!). finally, garnish your cup with a cinnamon stick, which doubles as a festive straw adding extra flavour!

**Helpful Hint - If you find you have left over spiced cider, store it in a glass jug or mason jar in the fridge. then at a later date you can remove and reheat to enjoy!