Spiced Cider - Please Sir, May I Have Some More?

Nowadays, it seems that no holiday party is complete without a certain item that, ironically, may only aid in not remembering the evening at all.

Greg Best and a recent issue of GQ provided what we found to be an amazingly flavored, wildly successful holiday beverage. What follows is the recipe, which we advise to drink happily, but afterwards, drive responsibly (Drunk driving? SO tacky.)...

Sinful Cider (serves 30-35)

Ingredients: 2-3 cinnamon sticks, a few whole cloves, a few peppercorns, 1 bottle (750 mL) small-batch bourbon, such as Maker's Mark or Wathen's, 1.5 gallons apple cider, 1/4 bottle angostura bitters, 1 pint heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1.5 teaspoons brown sugar

Drop cinnamon sticks, cloves, and peppercorns in the bottle of bourbon. Leave to steep for a couple of weeks (one week minimum). (Phat Tony NB: Since I wanted to maximize the flavors of the cinnamon, cloves and peppercorn in the beverage and I only had one week to steep the ingredients in the bourbon, I just threw another two cinnamon sticks, and a few more cloves and peppercorns in there... it worked perfectly.) On the day of the party, strain spirits and set aside. Pour apple cider and angostura bitters into a large stock pot. Place on stove and heat. While cider is heating, whip cream, then fold in ground cinnamon and brown sugar. When cider is hot, turn off heat and add the bourbon. Serve cider from the pot, still on the stove. Keep bowl of whipped cream on the counter and let guests help themselves.

Thanks again to Greg Best and GQ, and Happy Holidays to everyone from your Aesthetes at AQoT!