Today I am talking about the actual best drink during fall: apple cider. During the fall everybody always acts like pumpkin spice is the only the drink flavor, but it’s not. Apple cider is wayyyy better. When I think of fall bonfires I think of nice hot apple cider. The type of apple cider you have to blow on to cool off and use two hands to hold as you warm yourself up. So yeah, pumpkin spice is nice, but apple cider is just significantly better.
I don’t know when pumpkin spice became the “official” fall drink. It feels like about four or five years ago. I remember being around my friends and everyone was ordering pumpkin spice and this pumpkin spice that. I liked pumpkin flavored things. Dunkin’s pumpkin crème cheese bagel was my go to grab and go last fall and pumpkin pie is so good. So I’m not hating. I’m just expressing that apple cider doesn’t get enough credit. It doesn’t get the love and hype it obviously deserves.
Another great thing about apple cider is that it is great both cold and hot. Apple cider also is all around healthier. Pumpkin spice drinks have loads of sugar and generally come with whipped crème and syrups that add even more sugar. Plus apple cider is great paired with other things. Apple cider tastes great paired with a cinnamon donut. How often do you drink pumpkin spice drinks and eat something with it? You usually drink it then you have to drink water to balance out that sugar intake. Apple cider is just significantly better than pumpkin spice and just doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
To get you started on the path to proper appreciation of apple cider, here is a recipe that you can whip up at home as you enjoy fall break and autumn weather:
Homemade Apple Cider
10 apples, quartered
¾ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground allspice
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Place apples in a large stockpot and add enough water cover by at least 2 inches. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, for 1 hour. Cover pot, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours.
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Strain apple mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard solids. Drain cider again through a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Refrigerate until cold.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: 83 calories; 0.2 g fat; 21.9 g carbohydrates; 0.3 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 1 mg sodium.
(Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/211772/homemade-apple-cider/ )