Ingredients:

  • 750ml Dry Spanish Red Wine (Tempranillo or Garnacha)
  • 120ml Premium Brandy or Cognac
  • 475ml Unfiltered Apple Cider
  • 60ml Grade A Maple Syrup
  • 2 Large Honeycrisp Apples, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 Large Orange, half sliced into rounds, half juiced
  • 100g Fresh Cranberries
  • 4 Whole Cinnamon Sticks
  • 2 Whole Star Anise
  • 355ml Spiced Ginger Beer

Instructions:

  1. Prep the fruit. Slice your 2 Honeycrisp apples into thin crescents and half of the orange into rounds. Note: Keep the slices uniform so they look tidy in the pitcher.
  2. Juice the orange. Take the remaining half of the orange and squeeze it directly into your large pitcher.
  3. Sweeten the base. Pour 60ml of Grade A maple syrup into the pitcher and whisk with the orange juice until combined.
  4. Add the spirits. Stir in the 120ml of brandy and the 750ml of Dry Spanish Red Wine.
  5. Infuse the cider. Pour in the 475ml of unfiltered apple cider. Stir well until the liquid is a consistent deep garnet color.
  6. Incorporate aromatics. Drop in the 4 cinnamon sticks, 2 star anise, and the sliced fruit.
  7. Add the tartness. Scatter the 100g of fresh cranberries into the mix. Note: Don't worry if they float; they'll settle as they soak.
  8. The long rest. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 6 hours. until the apples look slightly translucent and have taken on a red tint.
  9. The sparkling finish. Right before serving, pour in the 355ml of spiced ginger beer.
  10. Final stir. Give it one gentle fold with your spoon to distribute the bubbles without deflating them. until the surface is fizzy and fragrant.