How To Liven Up Apple Cider With Lemon

There are a number of recipes we enjoy during the colder months, but apple cider absolutely takes the cake. Sure, it's simple, but it's cozy and nostalgic, reminiscent of childhood autumns spent picking apples and playing in the leaves. While our love for the drink never wanes, it's a little heady for warm weather, which limits the time we get to enjoy it. Thankfully, adding lemon to apple cider is the best way to liven up the beverage and make it suitable for warmer months.

Apple cider has a rich, enveloping feel — a result of the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and other warming spices that flavor it. Despite the earthiness, the drink does get a lift from the tart apples. Still, some additional zest can help to brighten things up even more. Adding lemons to the drink is one of many great tips for making homemade apple cider. The sour fruit draws out the lightness from the apples, making for a refreshing drink that can be enjoyed year-round. 

The lemon's tart tinge also stands out against the intense spices and sweet apples and enhances their delicious flavors. Thanks to its energizing spirit, the citrus makes apple cider a great beverage to sip on when it's cold. Like a fruity, spiced sweet tea, you can add slices of lemon to a pitcher of apple cider as it chills in the fridge or muddle pieces of the fruit inside the cold drink. If you're going to serve the drink while warm, add the lemon slices to the pot as the cider simmers.

One of the easiest ways to infuse apple cider with a citrusy taste is to mix it with frozen lemonade concentrate. If you're using the store-bought version or don't intend on serving the drink warm, mix the two together in a pitcher or punch bowl and keep it in the fridge until it's cold. When it's ready to serve, add ice cubes and garnish the drink with candied lemon slices and a cinnamon stick. For warmed apple cider, simmer the drink with the lemonade concentrate for a few hours.

If you don't have lemonade concentrate or want a low-sugar version, lemon juice works just as well. Although freshly squeezed is preferable, the bottled kind is great, too. Prepare it the same way you would use the concentrate and add a few splashes to the apple cider as it heats on the stove. Or, to control the flavor of each glass of citrus apple cider, opt for powdered lemonade. 

You can add the powder to each glass depending on your tastes and simply whisk the apple cider with it, whether it's heated or not. For boozy apple cider, add a splash or two of limoncello or another lemon-flavored liqueur to your chilled apple cider right before drinking it. If you want a warm version of it, simmer hard cider to make mulled dry apple cider. You can heat it with lemon slices, lemonade concentrate, or lemon juice.