Apple Spice Lemonade

Winter Lemonade with Apple, Cinnamon and Clove

Caramelized apple meets cinnamon, clove and cardamom. This variety is only available between November and January, and it tastes like baked apple in liquid form—only chilled and sparkling instead of hot. The answer to the question of what children should drink with Christmas dinner.

The Apple Spice Lemonade is the winter variety from La Mortuacienne and is available in the original as Pomme aux épices. It combines baked apple with the spices familiar from Christmas baking, without the heaviness that often accompanies hot punch. It is only available during the three months from November to January.

Warm in aroma, cool in the glass

Upon opening, cinnamon is at the forefront, followed by apple, and lastly a note of clove. Closing your eyes brings to mind a bakery in December.

Appley, spicy, festive—that is how this variety presents itself. On the palate, the order reverses: first comes the apple with a distinct sweetness and a caramelized tone, just like that developed by baked fruit, then the spices follow and linger longer than the fruit. Cardamom provides a slightly resinous pull at the end, and clove adds depth underneath.

With 9.2 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters, it is one of the sweeter varieties, which suits the occasion. Served cold, however, it does not feel heavy, as the carbonation carries the spices and keeps everything in motion.

With goose, with a cookie platter, for the kids

Ice cold in a wine glass, with a cinnamon stick and a slice of apple. The presentation needs no more effort than that.

At the festive dinner table, the Apple Spice Lemonade is the solution for everyone who does not drink wine. With goose, duck, red cabbage, and dumplings, it complements the spices on the plate rather than working against them. It gives children something that tastes like a celebration while remaining a lemonade.

In the afternoon, it pairs well with a platter of Christmas cookies, speculoos, and gingerbread. And for those who prefer it warm, heat it carefully to about 60 degrees Celsius; it then becomes an alcohol-free punch that needs no further spices. However, you should not boil it, otherwise the delicate nuances will evaporate.

Why it is only available for three months

Seasonal varieties represent an effort for a manufacturer that must pay off. Every recipe ties up capacity, and every bottling needs its place on the calendar.

At Rième, the winter variety therefore runs in limited quantities and only for the months where it belongs. Once it is sold out, it is gone until the next autumn. This is not a shortage tactic, but the simple result of the fact that a family business with ten varieties and around 5 million bottles a year cannot run an arbitrary number of lines in parallel.

The sugar base remains unchanged here as well, cold-prepared just like any other variety. The only thing that changes with the season is the aromatic profile.

Those who discovered the variety in winter and miss it in summer will find a similarly fragrant character in the Mandarin Lemonade. Those who prefer it herbal should reach for the Lemon with Mint. Nine other varieties are available year-round from La Mortuacienne. A deposit is added to the price.