DIY Hot Apple Cider Bar

So I recently took on the role of “wedding planner” at my family’s campground. The campground is beautiful. It is on a lake and has a Rec Hall that we do the wedding in. It is a great venue, and can really be transformed. The lake is surrounded by big beautiful trees that look really pretty during fall.

The last wedding we did was on November 6th, 2021. For this last wedding, the theme was fall. Everything was orange and burgundy and there were mums and pumpkins everywhere. It was absolutely stunning.

The bride had mentioned that she really wanted a hot apple cider bar. At first, I loved the idea, but shortly after I began to think what else could I put at the hot apple cider bar beside cinnamon sticks and fresh apples. I searched the internet all over for things to add to apple cider and compiled a list. I bought almost everything off of Amazon because I live in North Carolina and the campground is in Connecticut. It was much easier just to ship everything there.

We got so many compliments on our Hot Apple Cider Bar. It was a huge hit. People were telling me they had never seen anything like it before and that they loved the idea.

We are hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year. I was thinking about remaking the hot apple cider bar with some of the leftover goodies that I have from the wedding. Here is a list of things I used below. I linked what I bought from Amazon, some of the fresh stuff I just picked up at the grocery store.

Cinnamon Sticks
Caramel Sauce
Star Anise
Candied Oranges
Whipped Cream
Fresh Apple Slices
Fresh Cranberries

Other Things You May Need for the Hot Apple Cider Bar

Cups with lids and sleeves
Coffee Urn (heats up and keeps the apple cider hot)
Mason Jars

Other Ideas

– You could add some liquor for the adults to spike their cider. Rum Chatta would be delicious, or you could even try Fire Ball. Really any spiced rum would pair nicely.

– You could combine this with a hot cocoa bar and add peppermint sticks marshmallows and chocolate sauce.

We used different-sized mason jars for all of the toppings. I had used mason jars for the wedding centerpieces, so I had a few leftovers. Target sells cases of mason jars for every inexpensive. I think I bought a 12 pack of mason jars for 8 bucks. You can also get cute jars from Hobby Lobby for a reasonable price. I also had a few small tongs to get the topping out of the jars with. We just got them from the Dollar Tree, but if you’re just doing it for a small group you could get away with spoons and forks.

You could also mull the apple cider before serving it. We just used plain cider in case people didn’t like it mulled. I also didn’t want the mulling spices to clog the spout.

Let me know if you try it and what toppings you used for your bar. We plan to do it again for our family thanksgiving!