Bourbon Cider Sangria

I love fall. I love my hoodies and sweaters. I love having to make a little effort to stay warm. I love the way the light slants through the windows of our top floor apartment at 2pm. I love my boots! At last, I am finally relieved that summer is over and I don't feel the urge to squeeze every ounce of fun out of every day.

I especially love Thanksgiving. I love that it feels a bit like Christmas (and I'm finally allowed to listen to Christmas music! When I'm not alone anyway...), but without the stress of the gifts, the shopping, and the wrapping. Oh, the wrapping...

I usually bring something to my parents house that does not require the use of the kitchen. My Mom cooks everything and has her routine, which does not include me being underfoot! That usually means dessert and/or booze. This year I'm doing both. I decided on a cider sangria after seeing multiple recipes on pinterest. I tried one recipe, but it fell a little flat. This makes a big batch, so halve it if needed. Here's my remix:

Bourbon Cider Sangria

• Two bottles of dry white wine (anything not too sweet)
• 1 cup Canton ginger liquor
• 1/2 to 1 cup of whiskey or bourbon (I used Jack Daniels)
• 5 cups apple cider
• juice of two lemons
• 3 or 4 apples, chopped and sprinkled with cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a large container and let sit for at least two hours for the flavors to blend. You may want to try it with a 1/2 cup of bourbon, just in case 1 cup is too much for you. If you like bubbles in your sangria, top it off with seltzer. Want to be really fancy? Rub the rim of your glass with one of the apple pieces and dip it into a shallow plate covered in cinnamon sugar before you fill the glass.

Enjoy!