I never lean toward making drinks because I usually can’t find good recipes for nonalcoholic refreshments. Since it’s the holiday season, though, there are plenty of cider recipes to choose from, so I decided to give one a try. I’ve never had to cook a beverage, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

• 3 ½ cups apple cider or juice
• 2 tbsps sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 cups orange juice
• 3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 medium orange, cut into wedges

I started off by grabbing a large saucepan and filling it with the apple cider, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. I put the saucepan over high heat and let the liquid come to a boil before turning the heat down and letting it simmer for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes were up, I added in the orange and pineapple juices alongside the orange wedges with the cloves poked into them. I let the mixture simmer for 15 more minutes before taking it off the heat.

I expected the cider to be pretty sweet, but the addition of the pineapple juice made it sour. I didn’t really like the taste, but maybe it was because I’ve never tasted something like it before. Also, the strong cinnamon taste threw me off. Although the cider is meant to be served hot, it would taste better served cold so the sourness tones down. If you’ve acquired a taste for apple cider, this is a great recipe for you; as for me, I’ll pass on making this during the holidays.

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