Nothing warms you up on a cold winter’s night like hot apple cider with a kick of whiskey.  I first created this recipe after trying McMenamin’s Aval Pota Whiskey, a malt whiskey distilled with freshly-pressed apples from Hood River and a touch of cinnamon, at the Edgefield Distillery in Troutdale, Oregon.  If you happen to live in Oregon or Washington you can purchase this whiskey at most McMenamin’s locations. Call in advance to make sure they have it in stock. Otherwise, your favorite rye whiskey will also be delicious. This recipe easily doubles for a large crowd and can be kept warm in a slow cooker for hours, making it an ideal winter party cocktail.

Ingredients

1/2 gallon apple cider, preferably not from concentrate

2 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

2in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 1/2 cups rye whiskey

Optional Garnish: Whipped cream

Directions

In a large sauce pan, combine the apple cider, star anise, cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger.  Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the bean and seeds into the saucepan. Bring to a boil for 1 minute and then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes. Add whiskey.  Ladle into glasses and top with optional whipped cream. Serve.