By Joanna O'Boyle

Sipped by surfers in Santa Cruz after a bone-chilling dip in the Bay, this beloved beverage is inspired by the drink found at a cafe near famous surf spot Steamer's Lane. Dubbed "fire drink," the blend of hot apple cider, warming spices, cayenne, lemon juice with just a touch of maple syrup will warm your bones on a cold, rainy winter day, and the addition of Care By Design drops makes it that much more relaxing.

Prior to the alcohol-free version that became popular in 1920s prohibition-era America, cider had strictly referred to a fermented, alcoholic beverage served at room temperature or chilled (and still means that to the rest of the world, creating some confusion!). Prohibitionists and the FBI decimated apple farms orchards along with entire heirloom apple varieties, so in order to survive farmers were forced to focus on cultivating apples meant for eating instead of cider making. The same equipment used for alcoholic cider was repurposed to make alcohol-free cider, made with sweeter varieties of apples than those typically used for fermentation of “hard cider”, and “sweet cider” was newly marketed as a health drink. (1) Hard cider is finally making a comeback in America, but even better prohibition failure news is this delicious, piping hot, easy-to-make CBD-infused cider!

Making your own homemade cider is surprisingly simple, plus the spectacular smell of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger simmering on the stove is reason enough to want to make your own fresh batch immediately. Combined with the warming, aromatic spices of traditional cider, this makes for an incredibly comforting hot beverage. Hot, spicy, and just sweet enough, it’s just the thing on a cold, damp day.

Care By Design makes it beautifully easy to precisely measure the right amount of CBD and THC to any beverage and to your body’s preference with their Ratio Drop tinctures. This is a particularly perfect pairing for the drops, as every last thing about this Fire Cider is meant to inspire comfort and warmth. When I found the ratio that worked best for me (the 2:1) and added it to a hot beverage, it was like a hug in a cup. With 6 different ratio options, it’s up to you which Care By Design CBD and THC drops you use in the recipe, just remember to take your time and note the amount you add so you can adjust and tailor the effect to suit your needs.

Lemon Apple Ginger Fire Cider Ingredients:

• 10 apples, cored and quartered
• 3 medium-sized lemons, sliced into rounds
• 3 inches of fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
• 4 Cinnamon sticks (or 1 tbsp ground cinnamon)
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 tbsp allspice
• 4-5 star anise pods (optional)
• Pinch of cayenne
• Care By Design ratio drops
• Pure maple syrup to sweeten (to taste)

Makes: 4 cups of hot cider

Steps:

Wash and quarter apples. Put the chopped apples in a large stockpot with enough cold, filtered water to cover the apples by about three inches (push the apples down to check, as they float!).

Add the sliced lemons, ginger root, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, star anise (if including) and pinch of cayenne. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and keep at a simmer for two hours.

Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, mash the now very soft apples. Simmer for another hour. Carefully strain the solids from the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh strainer (pro tip: using a ladle is easier than trying to lift the whole pot!). Press the juice out of the cheesecloth and discard the solids.

Mix in just the right amount of precisely dosed Care By Design CBD drops into each mug, per dosage and ratio preference. Add extra fresh fruit, cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, and/or cloves for extra tastiness and aroma. Serve hot.