Winter Cider Comfort

At this time of year when the weather turns colder and the days turn shorter, I find I can sometimes be surrounded by people who seem to spend their time complaining about the weather and using words such as "miserable" and "horrid" and generally bringing the mood down.  Personally, I feel its better to go with the flow and look for the positives rather than the negatives.

Our ancestors would accept at this time of year that more time would be spent indoors and it was generally seen as a time of rest and recharging.  I can't see anything bad about spending an evening indoors watching a good movie, curled up reading an interesting book or just enjoying a good conversation.  This can be made even better with the glow of a warm fire and a warming drink.

I've recently discovered a Swedish Winter Cider with Apple, Cinnamon and Vanilla from Rekorderlig.  It makes for a crisp and refreshing drink when served cold over ice but offers a completely different drinking experience when gently heated in a pan and served hot in brandy glasses - a real comfort drink!

The French (especially those in the northern areas of Normandy and Brittany) also like drinking their cider warm in cups and small glasses and on a visit to Brittany a few years ago, we found these gorgeous hand made cider cups - just the job for a cup of mulled cider on a winter's evening.  A cup of cheer if ever there was one!