Curl up next to the fire with a cup of this aromatic Spiked Hot Apple Cider that was inspired by a recent trip to Northern Michigan.
Earlier this month, Hector and I headed up to Traverse City for a day trip. When I discovered that the Traverse City Brew Bus offered a Snowshoe Wine & Brew tour on Sundays during the winter, I knew that a day trip was in order! Last year I started snowshoeing and it has become one of my favorite winter activities. Snowshoeing around the wineries sounded like a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
We parked at Jolly Pumpkin to board the TC Brew Bus. We boarded the bus and headed to Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery. We had our first tasting here. After we had finished our wine, we headed out to the marked trail and snowshoed across Old Mission Peninsula to Bowers Harbor Vineyards, then snowshoed back to where we parked at Jolly Pumpkin to do our last tasting at the Old Mission Tasting Room.
We had such a great time. The sun was shining and it felt great to get outside. The Brew Bus does the Snowshoe Wine & Brew tour all winter long if you are planning a trip to Northern Michigan.
At the wine tasting at Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery, we had Spiked Hot Apple Cider. The warm cider was cozy, comforting and aromatic. Perfect on a cold winter's night. I knew that I had to recreate the drink after we returned home. I headed out to one of the local orchards here to pick up some apple cider.
Apple Cider simmers on the stove with the aromatic mulling spices, slices of orange and lemon rind, dry white wine {for the spiked part} and pure maple syrup for some sweetness. And how cute are these glasses?! If you got your card punched at all three stops and checked in on Facebook, you got a wine glass commemorating the day. So much fun!

Spiked Hot Apple Cider
Curl up next to the fire with a cup of this aromatic Spiked Hot Apple Cider that was inspired by a recent trip to Northern Michigan.
Ingredients
- 8 Cups Apple Cider
- 1 ½ Cup Dry White Wine
- ¼ Cup Maple Syrup or Brown Sugar
- Rind of an Orange, sliced
- Rind of a Lemon, sliced
- 1 Ounce Packet of Mulling Spices wrapped in cheesecloth
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and summer for 30 minutes.
- Serve warm.
This recipe is inspired by the Spiked Hot Apple Cider at Brys Estates Winery and Vineyard.
[…] Jolly Pumpkin is located along the West Grand Traverse Bay and offers more than just beer. You can sample craft beers along with spirits that have been distilled on-site. I checked out Jolly Pumpkin when I was in Traverse City earlier this year for the Snowshoe Wine & Brew Tour. […]