It’s officially Fall. But, in Florida the temperatures can still reach up to 90 degrees in late September. I was dreaming of crisp New England afternoons, apple picking and wine tasting. I did a little research and decided to make a twist on the traditional wine tasting event. Why not hard ciders? Akin to apple cider, which is a Fall staple. And perfect for a small party where friends can try different ciders and explore tasting notes.
Cider Tasting
I headed to our local Total Wine for some cider inspiration. The salesperson steered me to several regionally well-known ciders from different cities throughout the United States. We also included one from across the pond for good measure. Here is a list of the ciders I included:
- Strongbow
- Angry Orchard
- Original Sin
- Austin Eastsiders
- Cider Boys
Before the party, I sampled each cider and took tasting notes. I then used Canva to create a mini tasting note the size of a business card for each cider. I printed the cards at our local FedEx and placed them in my favorite business card acrylic holders. I use these all the time for parties. They’re great for sharing food choices or activities.
Apple Baked Brie
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small tart apple, peeled and sliced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Dash ground nutmeg
- 1 round (8 ounces) Brie cheese
- Assorted crackers
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°. In a saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add apple, cranberries, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; cook and stir 5-7 minutes or until apple is tender.
- Cut Brie horizontally in half; place bottom half in a 9-in. pie plate. Top with half the apple mixture; replace top. Top with remaining apple mixture.
- Bake uncovered 10-12 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Serve warm, with crackers.
I also served an Autumn Harvest Salad that included apples, pecans, crumbled feta cheese and dried cranberries.
Table Decor
For this Autumn themed party, I went with brown gingham as my main motif. I found a runner and deep chocolate brown gingham napkins at Target. I decorated with flowers in garnet, green and white from Trader Joe’s. Then I added pumpkin candles in neutral and orange hues to add more harvest vibes.
Overall, this is a super easy party theme to replicate for a Fall gathering. It’s a fun take on a wine tasting theme that will leave your guests impressed.
