I don't  care for candy corn, and pumpkin pie just doesn't do much for me. So in my house, fall equals hard cider. Crisp, edgy, familiar and nostalgic of childhood flavors, yet obviously for mature palates, it's just simply what I want to drink whilst the leaves change. And, better yet, its actually pretty easy to do at home.

Tools and Materials

• 1 gallon fresh apple cider—look for cold-pasteurized varieties that don't contain any preservatives such as potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate, which prevent fermentation
• 1 packet dry wine yeast, like champagne yeast
• 1-2 cups sugar, optional
• No-rinse homebrewing sanitizing solution
• Large stockpot and metal stirring spoon
• 1 gallon glass carboy or jug
• Rubber stopper and vapor lock ($1.00 from a homebrew shop)
• Pectic enzyme, optional (helps get rid of the cloudiness of pasteurized cider)
• Yeast energizer, optional
• Rubber tube
• Bottles

1. If you're fortunate enough to start with fresh apples and know someone with a cider press, then process your apples and turn them into a gallon of cider. Otherwise, you can start with a gallon of store- or orchard-bought, provided it doesn't contain any preservatives that would prevent the yeast from growing. Heat the cider in a large stock pot for 45 minutes, stirring with the metal spoon, to kill any naturally occurring bacteria or wild yeasts. If you like a sweeter cider, you can stir in 1-2 cups of sugar here. Doing so will also raise the alcohol content, if that's what you're going for. Allow the cider to cool to room temperature, and add the pectic enzyme, if using.

2. Meticulously scrub the carboy or glass jug with soapy water, then soak everything—carboy, rubber stopper, vapor lock—in santizing solution. I like that uses oxygen to clean, which is basically a food-safe version of OxyClean. Follow the directions  on the package. Pour the cider into the carboy, and stir in the 1/2 packet of yeast and yeast energizer, if using.

3. Seal the carboy with the stopper and vapor lock, adding distilled water or vodka up to the line on the vapor lock. These will allow carbon dioxide produced from the metabolization of sugar by the yeasts to escape, without letting bacteria and other villiains in. Allow the cider to ferment in a cool dark place—around 70 degrees—for two weeks.

4. Once the bubbling has slowed to 1-2 per minute, your cider is now fermented! Use the rubber tube to siphon the cider to another sanitary solution, leaving the apple gunk and yeast sludge at the bottom. Rinse the carboy, then put the cider back in, cork it with the vapor lock, and allow it to settle for 10 to 12 more days.

5. Your cider is done! Bottle it in cleaned soda bottles, or in our favorite, flip top glass bottles. We were able to get ours used for $1.00 each at the homebrew supply shop. Clean the bottles with sanitizing solution, and bottle. Allow the cider to sit at room temperature for 2 or 3 days to get all sparkling and delicious, then put in the refrigerator to halt fermenation.

6. Enjoy!

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