Mulled wine is a classic beverage served during the winter season. The cocktail combines a fruity red wine with various spices to create a soul-warming concoction that will fill you with the holiday spirit. Having something warm and spicy to beat back a chill seems to be a widely recognized need all over the globe, making the drink popular in many countries. Despite worldwide notoriety, mulled wine is most popular in many European countries. The cocktail can most often be found at winter locations such as Christmas markets.
With such broad popularity, comes plenty of monikers. Mulled wine is also known as glühwein, vino caliente, vin brulé and even plainly Christmas drink. Many names point to the temperature at which the drink is served – brulé and caliente meaning burned and hot in their respective languages. But glühwein, or glow wine, focuses on the radiant internal sensation the beverage imparts on the drinker.
The American name for the drink is rather straightforward focusing on the collection of mulling spices that go into flavoring it. Examples of such spices include winter favorites like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise and ginger.
Wine has been around for centuries, however, the first documented cases of mulled wine come from the Roman Empire back in 20 A.D. The wine was sweetened with honey and infused with spices and it was prized for helping the drinkers stay warm in the winters.
Alcohol has long since had a superficial reputation of providing warmth in part because of the burning sensation it provides as it makes its way through your digestive tract. That effect works in tandem with the warmer temperatures at which mulled wine is served, giving a dual warming effect. However if you still seek to boost the alcohol by volume and the perceived warming effect you can add a couple of shots of Brandy to the recipe.
That said, mulled wine doesn't have be alcoholic. To make a nonalcoholic batch ditch any added sugar and swap out wine for cranberry juice, pomegranate juice or grape juice. Or a mixture of the three.
However you enjoy it, mulled wine the perfect thing to ladle out to your friends and loved ones while braving a brisk winter day.
Mulled wine
Ingredients
1 bottle red wine
1 fresh orange, cut in 1/8" slices
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice, no pulp optional
3 raw cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
20 cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
Instructions
Pour the wine into a medium saucepan and add all ingredients.
Heat the wine to a gentle simmer. Stir the mixture to ensure all of the ingredients are well blended.
Cover the mixture and let simmer for 30 minutes, making sure it does not reach a boil.
Sieve out whole spices if preferred, and serve with a garnish or orange slice.
