Every fall since we were young, a family friend with a small apple orchard has served fresh apple cider mulling in her home whenever company came over. The delicious aroma has always been heavenly. As her guests file in, she greets them with a warm mug of her mulled cider with a cinnamon stick in it, and guests young and old gather around the fireplace hearth and sip the tasty brew. Nobody knows her secret recipe of spices; she just keeps the spices and cider at a low, rolling boil for a few hours, tending to it in between greeting and serving each of her guests. Nothing beats a warm drink with fall spices after being outside on a cold, crisp day. During this season, there are lots of opportunities for entertaining ranging from formal events; family get-togethers and even informal tailgating parties and football games. A common theme in all of this is welcoming guests with a delicious drink that everyone can enjoy.

A tasty and traditional drink of the season is either Mulled Wine and Mulled Cider. Mulled Wine, originally the drink offered by generous and well-to-do wealthy households in medieval times, it has seen various incarnations over time. A combination of favorite autumnal flavors such as Cinnamon and various spices taste especially good when simmered in apple cider, claret, port, or in a signature drink of your creation. Still a popular tradition today, in the hustle and bustle of entertaining, this charming drink sometimes get overlooked due to time constraints while cooking a large meal for many guests.

OLDE TRADITION SPICE MULLING SPICE TEA BAGS: ALL THE TASTE WITH LITTLE WORK

To enjoy the taste of a simmered mulled drink without having to allocate excess prep time during a busy meal or gathering, consider a tasty Mulled Spice preparation to kick-start your simmered warm beverage options. These bags come eight to a box and are as easy to use as a tea bag. These bags quickly add the flavor and taste of what normally takes a hostess’ watchful eye to maintain a rolling boil on the spice steeped beverage to achieve a full bodied, evenly simmered, not too sweet mulled beverage. If you would like to enjoy being with your guests instead of babysitting the mulling process, the Olde Tradition Spice Mulling Spice Tea Bags is a great option for you.

TASTE

I was surprised at how much this tastes like the combination of spices used in my apple orchard friends’ cider recipe. A natural and healthy combination of Cinnamon chips, orange peel, cloves, allspice and pure orange oil both smell and taste delicious. It tastes homemade but is very simple to make. Unlike other commercial preparations, there is no added salt or sugar, and it is caffeine free. Add sweetener to taste.

Of course, if your family enjoys any special additions to your signature brew, you can always add in raisins, orange slices, sliced almonds, a pinch of ground ginger, cardamon, and if you prefer to go sugar-free, a vanilla pod for some sweetness. But just adding the bag directly to your brew of wine or cider imparts plenty of flavor.

And, as a side bonus, the mulled spices make the house smell delicious, warm and inviting to guests.

USES

Traditional known to be included in mulled wine or cider, the Mulling spices can be used apple juice or other fruit juice, red or white wine, and tea to make a delicious mulled drink. The OldeTraditionSpice.com website has a whole list of recipes to choose from (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) so that the kids and designated drivers can still join in on the fun. Recipes include Hot Toddy, Hot Buttered Rum, Hot Apple Toddy, Hot Buttered Scotch Toddy, Caramel Apple Smoothie, German Wassail, Eggnog, Holiday Apply Cranberry Punch, and Spiced CoffeeLate, amongst many others. I counted about seventeen non-alcoholic recipes so the whole family could enjoy.

It is also tasty as a straight drink when used just like a tea bag in hot water. Steeping a mulled spice bag in green tea is a great way to make the vegetal taste of green tea more appealing to kids without using lots of sugar. It also adds a nice taste to ginger ale and can be served cold. Any of these options make for a nice mulled drink for kids during the festivities.

The bag can also be cut open and the contents used as a seasoning in cooking or baking. As seen in the video, the spices are a good size and not the “dust” remainders of the respective ingredients.

Each bag can be used two to three times or can be used to steep a larger quantity of liquid.

ABOUT THE OLD TRADITION SPICE INC COMPANY

In reviewing their website for mulled spice recipes, there was something else interesting I liked about the makers of this product. Olde Tradition Spice, Inc., does community outreach by employing Americans with disabilities for their packing process for various products. The company also stands by using natural and wholesome ingredients to create a product that tastes homemade.

CONCLUSION: I like to be able to make a tasty mulled drink, alcoholic or not, quickly and easily, whether brewed for a large group of guests or just one cup for myself. The Olde Tradition Spice Mulling Spice Tea Bags smell and taste delicious and smells homemade. I like the option of being able to serve mulled wine to adults and have a similar tasting mulled cider or tea option for kids or those who choose to opt out of drinking. This mulling spice is a nice treat to have tucked away to entertain unexpected guests or to quickly make an inviting beverage during the cooler season.

Find Olde Tradition Spice Mulling Spice at http://OldeTradtionSpice.com. And stay tuned to Style Chicks, as we will be featuring our favorite recipes made with Olde Tradition Spice Mulling Spice in the next few weeks, ranging from Mulled Wine to amazing Spiced Green Tea recipes!

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcmQtqXxSRM[/embedyt]

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.