During my sojourn at the Atlanta Airport a few weeks ago I spent most of a day in One Flew South, enjoying pork belly and cocktails mixed by their master mixologist Tiffanie Barriere. My first drink was one that I immediately wanted to recreate at home- a Jumping Jack Flight, a mix of apple jack, sorghum, cider, and cayenne.

I came home from Birmingham with a bottle of Blue Chair Bay Rum waiting for me, which presented the perfect opportunity to try my hand at a spicy cider punch. I mixed the coconut spiced rum with local fresh pressed apple cider, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger and then topped it off with a splash of hard sparkling cider and a touch of a cayenne.

The spiciness of the cayenne balances the sweetness of the rum, blending with the tartness of the cider and the warmth of the ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

This post is brought to you in partnership with Blue Chair Bay Rum.

Cayenne Cider Punch

750ml spiced coconut rum

1/2 gallon apple cider

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

Hard cider

Cayenne

In a large punch bowl mix together rum, cider, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. Top with a splash of hard cider and a pinch of cayenne before serving.