Don’t let smoky Scotch scare you away from this drink—we use just a dash of the peaty stuff in this warming cup of cider (sort of like you’d use absinthe in a rinse). The bulk of the booze is a not-so-peaty whisky, to keep the overall drink balanced. Drink it as a nightcap, paired with a classic dessert like our fresh apple pie.

This cocktail was featured as part of our Hot Boozy Drinks recipe gallery.

  • Yield: 1 drink
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: Under 5 mins
  • Active: Under 5 mins

Ingredients (7)

  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
  • 1 (1-by-2-inch) lemon peel
  • 2 tablespoons single-malt, not-heavily-peated Scotch whisky, such as Glenlivet
  • 1/4 teaspoon heavily peated Scotch whisky, such as Laphroaig
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Heat the apple cider, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey has melted and the cinnamon is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  2. Turn off the heat, add both Scotches and the lemon juice, and stir to combine. Transfer to a heatproof glass and garnish with the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.