Name: Warm Maple-Spiced Cider with Thyme & Lemon
Ingredients: 1 quart apple cider; 3 tbsp maple syrup; 1 small lemon, sliced into rounds; 2 small cinnamon sticks; 4 thin slices fresh ginger; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; Tiny pinch of salt; 4 oz 4–6 bourbon, dark rum, or apple brandy; thin apple slices, extra lemon wheel, or a thyme sprig

Warm Maple-Spiced Cider with Thyme & Lemon

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Ingredients

1 quart apple cider (not clear juice if you can avoid it)
3 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
1 small lemon, sliced into rounds
2 small cinnamon sticks
4 thin slices fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
4 sprigs fresh thyme (plus extra for garnish)
Tiny pinch of salt (rounds out the sweetness)

Optional:

4 oz 4–6 bourbon, dark rum, or apple brandy (added per-mug)

Optional garnish:

thin apple slices, extra lemon wheel, or a thyme sprig

Instructions

Build the pot:

In a small pot, combine:

Cider
Maple syrup
Lemon slices
Cinnamon sticks
Ginger
Thyme sprigs
Pinch of salt

Heat gently:

Bring just up to steaming, not boiling.
Reduce heat to low and let it simmer very gently for 10–15 minutes to infuse.

Taste & adjust:

Fish out a spoonful, cool slightly, taste.
Add a bit more maple or a squeeze of fresh lemon if needed.

Serve:

For non-alcoholic mugs:

ladle straight into heatproof mugs, garnish with a lemon wheel or thyme sprig.

For spiked mugs:

add 1–1½ oz bourbon/rum/apple brandy to each mug, then top with hot cider and garnish.