Hot Apple Cider Cocktail with Rum

When the weather starts to turn chilly, this hot Apple Cider Cocktail is the perfect way to warm up. The cider pairs perfectly with dark rum, cherry bourbon bitters and a little Licor 43, which is a sweet liqueur with vanilla flavors.

To me, hot apple cider is one of those delicious and comforting fall traditions (and made even better with some rum). It's so perfect to warm up with one of these cocktails after going apple picking or watching a high school football game!

This cocktail would pair perfectly with these super-easy Cinnamon Roll Bars. You can also substitute in bourbon for the rum, and serve it alongside this Cold Brew Bourbon Cocktail.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Variations
• Top tip
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

This drink is so easy to put together. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make it:

• Apple Cider Concentrate
• Dark Rum
• Licor 43
• Cherry Bitters
• Hot water
• Cinnamon stick and/or whole star anise for garnish

Substitutions

If you don't have everything on hand, here are some ideas for substitutions:

• Apple Cider Concentrate - if you don't have this, try to find fresh apple cider and use that instead of adding in hot water. Just heat it up on the stovetop and add it at the very end. If cider is out of season (a big reason to get the concentrate!), you can try using apple juice and heating that up along with a pouch of mulling spices. It won't quite be the same, but it'll do in a pinch.
• Rum - Bourbon is a wonderful substitute for rum here.
• Licor 43 - you can use any vanilla liqueur if you don't have Licor 43 available. Or, you could use a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract, a quarter ounce of simple syrup, and add a little more rum.
• Cherry Bitters - if you don't have cherry bitters, try any kind of bitters you have. Orange bitters would go well, or you could twist an orange rind over top of the drink if you don't have any bitters at all. (And then go put a bitters gift set on your wishlist!!)

Equipment

This one doesn't need all that much equipment! You'll need a kettle (side note: I love my electric kettle!!), or a saucepan to heat up the water. You'll also want to have either a cocktail glass with a handle or a mug, and a jigger or small measuring cup. And grab a spoon if you don't have a long cinnamon stick to stir it up.

Instructions

This cocktail is built directly in the serving glass, so it makes cleanup super easy. Start by adding the rum and Licor 43 to the glass.

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Then, add the apple cider concentrate, and the cherry bitters. Give everything a stir with a long cinnamon stick and add a whole star anise if you have one.

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Finally, pour in the hot water. Stir everything together and serve immediately.

Variations

For kids or any non-drinkers, plain hot apple cider is wonderful! Include two cinnamon sticks in theirs, so you know which ones have alcohol. If you like, you can also add a touch of vanilla syrup.

Other add-ins that would go really well with this drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) are cranberry juice, maple syrup, or a spiced rum.

Top tip

You can make a large batch of these in advance without the hot water. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready, and just measure out what you need into each serving glass. Top it off with the hot water and serve!

📖 Recipe