Spiced Hot Beer for New Year

Prepare the spice bag In a cheesecloth or a piece of fine mesh fabric, place the cinnamon stick (1), whole cloves (1 tsp), allspice berries, black peppercorns, and star anise (2). Tie the ends of the fabric together to create a spice bag.

Make the beer mixture In a large pot, combine the water (4 cups), brown sugar (½ cup), honey (¼ cup), grated ginger, grated orange zest (1 tsp), orange juice (½ cup), and lemon juice (¼ cup). Add the spice bag to the pot.

Simmer the mixture Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

Add rum and beer Remove the spice bag from the pot and discard. Stir in the dark rum (½ cup) and beer. Heat the mixture until hot but not boiling.

Serve the spiced hot beer Divide the hot spiced beer into serving cups or mugs. Garnish each cup with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick (1). Serve immediately.