Hot Mulled Cider

I've had hot cider lots of times, in the South and elsewhere, but I never really loved it. That changed on my recent trip to New York. I had a hot mulled cider cocktail at Lupa's that knocked my socks off. I don't have their recipe, but using my best guesses, I made some the other night. This will definitely be our Christmas Eve dessert beverage. This recipe has a bit of kick provided by Maker's Mark bourbon. Of course, you can leave that out, but if you do, you might want to dilute the cider a bit with some hot water just prior to drinking, or it might be too sweet.

Hot Mulled Cider
1 jug (128 oz.) apple cider, not from concentrate, such as Musselman's
6 T. ground cinnamon or 6 cinnamon sticks
4 t. ground ginger or 2 pieces (approx 2 in. in length each) fresh ginger peeled and pricked
2 T. nutmeg
1 T. butter
bourbon, such as Maker's Mark (optional)

Put all spices in cheese cloth and tie with kitchen string. Pour cider into a large pot and add spice sachet and 1 pat of butter (this helps prevent boiling over and adds a nice creaminess). Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat. Cook on medium to medium-low for approximately 4 hours, until reduced by 2/3. Use 4-5 parts mulled cider to 1 part bourbon for a cocktail. Or do the same with hot water to dilute slightly. Serve warm.

Note: I was out of cheesecloth, so I used the ground versions of all the spices, and made two sachets with coffee filters and string, dividing the spices equally between the two sachets. It worked just fine.