Hot Pomegranate Toddy

Ingredients

• 6  cupspomegranate juice or cranberry juice
• 2  cupswater
• 1/2  cupsugar
• 3  1-inch-long stripslemon peel (set aside)
• 1/4  cuplemon juice
• 3  inchesstick cinnamon
• 1  teaspoonwhole cloves
• 1/3  cupbourbon, rum, or orange juice
•   Lemon peel strips (optional)

Directions

In a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, combine pomegranate juice, water, sugar, and lemon juice.

For spice bag: Cut a 6-inch square of 100%-cotton cheesecloth. Place lemon peel, cinnamon, and cloves in center of cheesecloth square. Bring up the corners; tie closed with kitchen string. Add spice bag to saucepan. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Discard spice bag. Stir bourbon into pomegranate juice mixture. Transfer to a heatproof serving pot. If desired, serve with a lemon peel strip in each cup.