Fall Inspired Drinks

When the weather becomes crisp and the smell of autumn is in the air, one thinks of apples, cider, hot cocoa and all things warm and cozy. This week I am making all sorts of drinks that inspire fall vibes.

Homemade Apple Cider

Growing up in New England, we always had our fair share of fresh apple cider. Apple orchards and farms are plentiful and I have fond memories of sweaters, mittens and cups of apple cider, both cold and warm. Well, here in Phoenix, it is a different story. My apple tree is abundant for picking in June when it is insufferably hot.

We pick the apples and try and cold store them for as long as we can. This week I used up the last of the summer apples by making homemade apple cider in the slow cooker.

Coarsely chop apples, add spices and cover with water. Cook for 10-12 hours. Smash the apples with a potato masher and strain.

Inspired by a recipe from Baker Bettie, I did alter it based on what I have available. No orange, just add a good squeeze of lemon. I believe this is one recipe that would be hard to screw up. And you let the slow cooker do all the work while your house fills with yummy, homey, autumn smells. Click here for the recipe. And then you can reduce the cider to make apple cider donuts! (see recipe here).

Homemade Hot Chocolate

I confess to be a bit of a hot chocolate snob. Not a big fan of over-sweetened packaged cocoa, I tend to not drink it because I always expect a better flavor. Finding this recipe torn out of a Coyuchi product magazine, it is a very different type of hot chocolate.

First of all, I didn’t recognize some of the ingredients. Macuna prurient? Maca powder? Pearl powder? The recipe also calls for organic raw cacao powder. Conveniently I am able to find all the ingredients on Amazon and the links are below with the product benefits.

The recipe states this hot cocoa “improves mood, lowers stress levels and helps keep you healthy through the holidays with magnesium, iron and antioxidants”. Wow! Really?

The down side to this recipe is that it does not tell you the number of servings. So I doubled it and had so much of this homemade beverage!

First of all, it is VERY chocolatey so I would recommend a small cup vs. the huge one I made for myself. Secondly, since I consumed SO much just before bed, I didn’t realize the impact organic raw cacao would have on my sleep patterns (raw cacao has caffeine!) so I do not recommend that!

But it is good and you can control the sweetness. And how fun to learn about the health benefits of those unknown ingredients:

Pearl Powder: Anti-aging mineral, rich in calcium to help support hair, skin and nails. Maca Powder: Supports energy and vitality. Promotes balance in the body. Macuna pruriens: A natural source of Levodopa it increases dopamine in the brain cortex resulting in mood enhancement and elevated alterness. Has been used for over two thousand years for its energizing, revitalizing and restorative properties. Raw Cacao Powder: Nature’s superfood containing high concentrations of minerals and magnesium.

Spooky Cocktail

I cannot take credit for this fun cocktail. The recipe is from Half Baked Harvest and is called Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter inspired!). What better glasses to serve it in for a scary impact than these from Pottery Barn (I also heard you can get them from Walmart).

Silver tequila, cranberry or pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, lemon juice, maple syrup and ginger beer, garnished with a sprig of thyme. Lighting the thyme gives it a bit of smoke and mystery!

Click here for the recipe. I hope to use this cocktail at a small scary dinner party I am having at the end of the month.

Happy Wednesday to you! Are there any drinks or beverages that remind you of Fall?

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