Holy shit! That’ll put hair on your chest!
This was something that Marika very thoughtfully gifted to me around the holidays – with the intent that I would use it to make stovetop mulled cider. I actually did that around the holidays but I got the ratio wrong and it was pretty weak, so this was my do-over after getting a recipe from Marika for how it was intended to be made.
It’s spicy y’all! I mean, hella sweet too because I did make it into cider and so there’s a VERY LARGE amount of apple juice in this – but it’s also a fuck ton of really spicy ginger that makes the hairs on the inside of your nose tingle, lots of warming cinnamon, and then just a punch of mace. I actually like the taste of mace a lot, especially with fruit, but I’m used to having it in more moderation. This is peppery and aggressive, which is not to say that I don’t like it – but it’s the kind of cider with a substantial enough kick to it that I feel like it should have booze in it.
Also – orange! Delicious notes of cooked down orange! I learned from Marika that this Mulling Spice blend, which she helped develop with her Dad, uses 10 year old aged Chinese orange peel – and I have to say this is the bougiest I’ve ever felt drinking cider. Everything I drink from their family store makes me feel like my taste level and sophistication is waaayyyy higher than it actually is.
They’re just so good at what they do.