Recipe adapted from www.thekitchn.com

1-gallon (3.78-litre) jug of Sun-Rype apple juice
1½-inch piece of ginger
1 navel orange
5 star anise pods
5 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp. whole cloves
1½ cup J.P. Wiser’s Apple Whiskey (optional)

You’ll need a slow cooker with enough room to fit both the juice, and if you so choose, the alcohol. I ran into this issue, as I have a smaller slow cooker, but there is a silver lining: when drinking the cider to make room for the whiskey, I found that it is excellent as a virgin drink as well.

First, cut your ginger and orange into ¼-inch slices. Pour the apple juice into your slow cooker, and add the ginger and orange slices with the five star anise pods, the five cinnamon sticks and a tea ball filled with whole cloves, to avoid floating bits. I used a metal tea ball, and it worked fine.

Turn the slow cooker on, and cover it. If you have more than one heat setting, put it to low for a duration of 4 hours. I stirred it occasionally, but regular stirring isn’t necessary.

After 4 hours, turn off the heat and add the whiskey — if you’re opting to use it. I chose to go overboard with the apple flavour, so I used J.P. Wiser’s Apple Whiskey. Stir, and let sit for 10 minutes, and you’ll have a delicious cider for a cold night in or a social gathering.

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Logan Huard

Graphic: Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor