Hot boozy drinks are one of the best things about the winter, and this Salted Caramel Spiked Apple Cider skyrocketed to the top of my list this year.

Salted Spiked Caramel Apple Cider

I’ve been “testing” this cocktail all week long.

Maybe for two weeks.

I’m normally not a whiskey drinker, but when I saw Salted Caramel Crown Royal at the store recently I snatched that up like it was the last box of Count Chocula for the next year.

If you can’t find that particular brand, there are several others that have popped up in recent years that you can check out!

Have a Cocktail with dinner!

You see, the only time that whiskey and I are ever friends is in the winter months at band practice when I like to sip hot apple cider (usually the packet kind, I’m not fancy) with a healthy dose of whiskey in there. For the vocal cords, of course. Purely for the craft, you know.

Well, I LOVE caramel apple everything, like this caramel apple tarts, and my apple crumble pie recipe that ALWAYS gets a healthy dose of caramel on top of the big scoop of French vanilla ice cream that MUST go on top of it.

I even MAKE caramel myself you guys. Sometimes even the REALLY old fashioned way with WHITE SUGAR. That is no joke. Maybe it isn’t even caramel + apple that I like, but just caramel itself. It shows up a lot here, is all I’m saying.

How To Make Spiked Caramel Apple Cider

First – don’t do what I usually do and crack open a packet of powdered spiced cider mix. It has its place, but for something really special, you need to get the big guns out.

Go buy this year’s batch of Honeycrisp unfiltered apple cider, or your favorite variety. MAJOR “you have your crap together” fall bonus points if you bring home some cider from an actual orchard that you went to visit to pick pumpkins or something because kudos and props and all of those other things. I haven’t been to an orchard in, like, 4 or 5 years.

When we lived in Michigan for a couple of years, I used to frequent an orchard, which was amazing. I actually hosted karaoke there once a week during the peak season, and while it was COLD and sometimes miserable, I always had such a great time there with all of the kids passing through and the teenagers with their big groups of friends and the occasional couple crooning love songs to each other.

Anyway –  back to the cider.

Try these Boozy Hot Chocolate Bombs too!

Start with the best cider you can find, or you know – whatever you picked up at the grocery store last week that your kids haven’t demolished yet.

Next – get thyself this Crown Royal. Regular will definitely do if you aren’t a flavored booze fan, but the Salted Caramel Apple is like – well. Let’s just say I’m going to be keeping a bottle in reserve here since I assume it is a very seasonal offering.

Once you do that, the next part is the WHIPPED CREAM. Because it took this drink from “OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH that’s good” RIGHT into “Like WHOA” territory. Like, “whoa I’ve already snapchatted and made this for all of my people because I think they will love it so much.”

How To Make Cinnamon-Spiced Whipped Cream

This one is super simple. For 4 drinks, whip one cup of extra heavy whipping cream with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla. Whip it, and whip it good. You want it to form stiff peaks and not melt into the hot cider too quickly.