nsomn:

Poor man’s cider was invented long ago by my friend Laurel.  It warms your insides on a cold day and gives you at least two of your daily servings of fruit (apple juice is a fruit, and so is brandy).

You need:

• apple juice, however many cups worth you want
• slices of lemons, oranges, clementines, or a combination
• whole cloves and cinnamon sticks
• brandy

First decant your apple juice into a saucepan, add your spices (I didn’t have cinnamon sticks, so I used whole allspice instead) and your citruses:

Give it a stir. Warm it up, until there are little bubbles but it’s not simmering.  Let it sit warmly for a bit to let the flavors mingle.

You can either add your brandy directly to the pot, or add it to the individual mugs.  I use at least this much per serving (that’s a shot glass, by the way):

Though, of course, you don’t really measure the brandy, just hold the bottle upside down over the pot or mug until it “seems enough”.