A favorite at Dragon Con, with a special secret ingredient to jazz it up a bit.
Ingredients
- 64 oz Apple Juice
- 64 oz Apple Cider
- 400 ml Ever clear (195 proof)
- 200 ml flavored whiskey or schnapps
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean
Directions
Combine fruit juices, sugar and spices in a large stockpot and stir to dissolve the sugar, reserving the alcohols. Simmer 1 to 2 hours over low heat until the spices are fragrant. Do not boil.
Cool to 170°F and add the alcohols. Ladle into clean mason jars. Seal jars and rest in a cool, dark cupboard or refrigerate. Keeps several weeks.
Serve warmed, or over ice.
Cook’s Notes
- DeKruyper schnapps is typically sold at 15% ABV, or 30 proof in the US.
- Do not add the alcohols to hot liquid or the alcohol may be driven off before the batch has completely cooled.
- If cooling to room temperature before storage, target a minimum 20% ABV.
- Add citric acid as a preservative
Modifications to the recipe above:
1. Fortify 128oz (1 gallon) of apple cider with two 12oz cans of apple juice concentrate instead of 64oz each of cider and juice
2. Increase brown sugar to 1/3 cup from 1/4 cup
3. Add 2 tbps black strap molasses
4. Increase cinnamon sticks to 4 from 3
5. Add 3 whole allspice berries, 2 whole cloves, 1 whole star anise, 1 strip of mace, seeds from 1 black cardamom pod in a large tea ball.
6. Increase alcohol content to 20% ABV from 10% (900ml Everclear 195 proof up from 400ml)