Cider is two things. Hot cider is specifically a spiced apple juice, served hot. Cider also refers to alcoholic cider made from fruits, usual apples. If you go to a bar and ask for a cider in the States you will not receive hot cider.
I think you read that backwards. They’re not saying there’s no alcoholic cider in America, they’re saying it’s an American thing to say cider when refering to non-alcoholic apple juice. If you look for cider elsewhere you will get a fruit-based alcohol, you will not get apple juice.
Apple juice is not cider though. Apple juice is clear and flat. Cider (alcoholic) is clear and bubbly. Cider (nonalcoholic) is brown and served hot or cold and spiced or unspiced.
Any of these can be made with other fruit, but apple is the most common.
Interesting, whenever I would make it it would always come out kind of thicker and brownish, especially as it stood around (oxidation I guess). Probably varies by the kind of apple, but the more ‘natural’ kinds I have found at the store also tend to be pretty brown, certainly not clear.
Are you looking to relax and willing to shell out $$? Kin Dream Light with pear juice and a little bit of lemon is a lovely non alcoholic nightcap.
Milk kefir is also good, or water kefir from tibicos.
None of these are literally warm, as I live where it’s hot. But they are relaxing and non alcoholic. If you aren’t sensitive to caffeine, do like the Spanish and have a coffee at night.
Korean Yuja tea is really nice during cold winter months. It’s one of my favorite drinks when it’s cold. It’s sweet and it warms you right up. You can buy the marmalade at Asian grocery stores.
edit: It’s not really tea, but marmalade dissolved in hot water. Sweet, thick and heartwarming. Also the rinds are nice to chew on :)
Is there a much lower sugar version? They’re always so sugary…
Like, can you buy apple dehydrate or something and spice to taste, every cider I come across is absolutley laden with it and my tastes are dryer these days
Apple juice is pretty much sugar water to begin with.
Winter comfort drinks are a mix of three things, fat (eggnog etc), sugar (cider etc) or booze (mulled wine etc) as they are what warms you on a cold night... a shit load calories.
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