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Warm Spiced Apple Cider with a Measured Infusion

A spiced fall mug that simmers plain, takes a measured infusion at the end and comes with a slow-cooker setup that keeps every guest's dose clear.

By the High Society team3 min read

THC apple cider turns a cozy fall and winter mug into an adults-only sip with a dose you can count. Spices simmer in plain cider, and the infusion goes in last, on the lowest heat.

Dosing THC Apple Cider Safely

Divide your total THC by the number of mugs (the recipe card shows the math), and when hosting, dose individual mugs, never the pot.

Mulled cider with THC is meant for adults 21 and older. Like other edibles, it can be slow to register, sometimes up to 2 hours. Finish one mug, then give it the full 2 hours before deciding on another; our THC dosage guide walks through choosing a first amount.

What Goes In

Use unfiltered cider, whole cinnamon, star anise and cloves (they strain out cleanly), a little ginger and your sweetener of choice; orange simmers in and apple slices garnish. Dose with an alcohol or glycerin tincture (tincture basics) or canna-honey; oil-based drops tend to float on cider rather than mix in. Prefer a labeled product? Browse High Society's online menu (each store's selection differs) and order ahead for pickup.

How to Mull It

Steep the spices and half the orange in cider just below a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, then strain and sweeten. Drop the burner to its lowest setting before stirring in the infusion: it only needs warming, and long, hot cooking can cost some THC. Ladle with a measuring cup so the mugs match.

Storage and Labeling

Refrigerate leftovers in a jar marked "THC," dated and showing the dose per cup, and finish them within a few days. Warm single cups gently; there's no need to boil.

Party Version: A Labeled Dosing Station

For a holiday crowd, keep plain cider on the slow cooker's warm setting so everyone can help themselves. Beside it, set up a dosing station for guests 21 and older who want an infused mug. Lay out the infusion, an oral syringe or measuring spoons, a card listing the dose per milliliter or teaspoon, and marked mugs for infused servings. Stay with the station, keep the infusion out of reach of kids and pets, and pack it all away afterward. For another seasonal sip, see our fruitcake canna-cocktail.

Recipe

Makes
4 mugs (about 1 cup each)
Prep time
5 minutes
Cook time
20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (1 quart) apple cider, unfiltered if you can find it
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 star anise pods
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 3 thin slices fresh ginger (optional)
  • 1 orange, sliced into rounds
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey or brown sugar, to taste
  • A measured infusion for 4 servings: alcohol tincture, glycerin tincture or canna-honey (see the dosing note)
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced, for garnish

Steps

  1. Combine the cider, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, ginger and half the orange rounds in a saucepan. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat.

  2. Lower the heat and let the spices steep for 15 to 20 minutes without boiling.

  3. Strain out the spices and orange. Taste, then sweeten with plain maple syrup, honey or sugar.

  4. Turn the burner to its lowest setting. Add the measured infusion and stir for 30 seconds, until any canna-honey has fully dissolved.

  5. Divide evenly among 4 mugs with a measuring cup. Garnish with apple slices and the remaining orange rounds, and mark the infused mugs if plain cider is also being served.

Frequently asked questions

Does heating cider destroy the THC?

Not at gentle heat. Infusions made from decarboxylated cannabis already hold active THC, so they only need warming. Lab work on cannabis extracts has measured THC losses when heat runs high for a long time, so add the infusion last and keep the pot below a simmer.

Can canna-honey be the sweetener and the dose?

Yes, but measure it for the dose, not for taste. Sweeten the cider with plain honey or maple syrup first, then stir in the measured canna-honey. If a mug still tastes flat, add plain honey, never more of the infused kind.

What is a glycerin tincture?

A cannabis tincture made with food-grade vegetable glycerin instead of alcohol. It tastes sweet, has no alcohol bite and mixes easily into warm drinks. Its strength depends on how it was made, so dose it from the label or your batch notes, and expect edible timing once it's in the cider.

Sources

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cannabis frequently asked questionscdc.gov
  2. Wang M. et al. (2016), Decarboxylation study of acidic cannabinoids, Cannabis and Cannabinoid Researchpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency: Marihuana Rules, R 420.1 to R 420.1004 (product labeling, PDF)michigan.gov

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