Early on, one of the first hikes Mark and I took together was on Sugarloaf Mountain, which is just about the most perfect place in the world when the leaves are at their best.
But when he proposed the trip, Mark didn’t just promise me leaves… he also promised me cider at the bottom of the hill — and I don’t think I need to explain the absolute joy that goes hand in hand with any mention of fall leaves and hot cider.
… so we packed our things and headed out for a nice fall day outside.
And it really was perfect. There were leaves, views… everything a girl could want.
Except cider.
The sadness hit hard.
… my parched tongue almost abandoned ship when Mark pointed to the sad little stand where he claims the cider used to be, but nothing could bring that cider back.
I didn’t even find myself so much as a cider doughnut that day.
Regardless of reality, I was so attached to the idea of a hilltop cider stand that I drug that poor man back there again and again, year after year, always hoping that a troop of boy scouts might magically reappear to serve me hot tasty beverages. Always with the same sad disappointment to follow…
Eventually though, I started to wonder if the whole thing wasn’t just a ploy to get me alone… tempt the lady with cider just long enough to convince her she should never leave.
… and then I guess it must’ve worked, so maybe I don’t mind.
Luckily — just to be safe — these days we don’t count on just any old cider stand to get our fix. We take our own.
Those boy scouts wouldn’t have the good stuff anyway… not like this cider with rye.
Overnight cider & rye
Adapted from The Bojon Gourmet
36 ounces fresh apple juice or cider
24 ounces rye whiskey
6 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
1.5 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
64 oz pitcher or jug
Combine all ingredients in jug and leave to marry overnight. In the morning, strain cider through a fine mesh sieve.
Enjoy!
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