Mulled Wine Recipe

Mulled wine has me reminiscing about my European travels….the Christmas markets there are where I first discovered this amazing German concoction known as Glühwein. It truly is a quintessential spiced holiday cocktail. This mulled wine recipe is simple to make, yet complex in flavor.

Mulled Wine Recipe

Drinking this mulled wine will warm you up from the inside and making it will fill your home with the most lovely seasonal aroma (especially great for pleasing guests). It’s working double duty. So, try out this recipe for all the warm, spirited, wintry comforts right in your home.

What You Need For Mulled Wine Recipe

This mulled wine recipe is easier than you might think! You’ll need red wine, oranges, apple cider (or apple juice), mulling spices, and honey. I also like to add a bit of brandy to give it an extra punch.

Homemade Mulling Spices

I love making my own mulling spices at the beginning of (or let’s be honest, a little before) the season. We use them for an assortment of delicious spiced beverages. I’ll double this recipe for our home.

1. Place cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, nutmeg, and star anise in a large plastic bag. Use a rolling pin or mallet to break them up. You might have to use your hands to break the cinnamon sticks up further.
2. Add all of your ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
3. Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark location until ready to use.

You can use your mulling spices in making this festive mulled wine or in making your own spiced Apple Cider. Use ¼ cup for 1 bottle of wine or ½ cup for a gallon of apple cider. For other non-alcoholic beverage options, try warming them in pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, or pear juice. You can even simply steep your spices in hot water for a distinctive tea.

Try flavoring coffee or syrups with the spices or using them as fragrant potpourri in your home.

If you finely grind your spices, you can add fall spice to some of your favorite baked goods like pancakes or cookies.

Best Wine For Glühwein

The beauty of mulled wine is that you don’t have to buy the most expensive bottle to get a fantastic flavor. Stick to your mid-range wines (think: a drinkable wine but not anything you’d buy for a special occasion). Semi-dry wines have a lovely balance that works well with the mulled wine additions. A fruity, full-bodied wine will complement the citrus and spices. Malbec, Syrah, and Tempranillo would be great options, or a red blend could function well here too.

Making This Mulled Wine Recipe

Feel free to experiment with these proportions based on preference and taste, but let this be a jumping-off point for your creativity! If you prefer it to be less sweet, hold back on the sweetener. If you like it a little more tart, add extra orange juice. You get the drift.

1. Fill a pot or slow cooker with your wine, mulling spices, apple cider, orange slices, orange juice, and sweetener. If you’d like to use a reusable spice ball, muslin tea bag, or cheesecloth to hold your spices, it can make straining/serving your mixture easier.
2. Stir ingredients to combine.
3. Bring the pot to a very gentle simmer and keep on low heat for around 30 minutes. Give it a taste at this time and adjust flavors or allow the liquid to infuse for more time.
4. If desired, stir in brandy.
5. Strain or scoop out the solids from the wine. Your mulled wine is ready to serve.

How to Serve Your Mulled Wine

Mulled wine is best served warm! Grab a ladle for easy serving.

You can keep your mulled wine warm on a low setting on your stovetop or the warm setting on your slow cooker…another reason it works well for a party or gathering. Just don’t keep it on the stovetop all day, and make sure the pot stays on the lowest heat setting possible, because the alcohol content can decrease with heat.

For an extra festive look, garnish with cranberries, a cinnamon stick, fresh or dried orange slices, or star anise.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

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Mulled Wine

A simple, authentic, and festive glühwein recipe for cozying up on a cold winter night. It uses citrus, apple cider, and homemade mulling spices for the perfectly spiced warm beverage.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine All

Servings 4

Equipment

• slow cooker (optional)
• Ladle

Ingredients

  

Mulling Spices

• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tbsp cardamom pods
• 3 whole nutmeg
• 3 star anise
• 2 tbsp whole cloves
• 2 tbsp whole allspice
• 3 tbsp whole peppercorns
• ¼ c dried orange peel minced
• 2 tbsp crystallized ginger minced

Mulled Wine

• 1 bottle red wine
• ½ c orange juice fresh squeezed or not
• ¼ c mulling spices
• 1 orange sliced
• 1 c apple cider or apple juice
• ¼ c maple syrup or other sweetener
• ¼ c brandy optional

Instructions

 

Mulled Spices

• Place cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, nutmeg, and star anise in a large plastic bag. Use a rolling pin or mallet to break them up. You might have to use your hands to break the cinnamon stick up further.
• Add all of your ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
• Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark location until ready to use.

Mulled Wine

• Fill a pot or slow cooker with your wine, 1/4 c of mulling spices, apple cider, orange slices, orange juice, and maple syrup. If you’d like to use a reusable spice ball, muslin tea bag, or cheesecloth to hold your spices, it can make straining/serving your mixture easier.
• Stir ingredients to combine. Bring the pot to a very gentle simmer and keep on low heat for 30 minutes- 1 hour.
• Give it a taste at this time and adjust flavors or allow the liquid to infuse for more time. If desired, stir in brandy.
• Strain or scoop out the solids from the wine. Your mulled wine is ready to serve.

Notes

• Some recommended wine varieties include Malbec, Merlot, Shiraz, Tempranillo, or a blend.
• For an event or party, keep your mulled wine in the slow cooker on warm.
• For a homemade apple cider, check out our delicious recipe here.
• Optionally garnish your mugs with cranberries, cinnamon sticks, star anise, or dried or fresh orange slices.
• Sweetener alternatives might include brown sugar or honey.

Keyword aromatic, from scratch, holiday, spiced, wine