Get comfy this holiday season and bring the scent of cinnamon and cloves to your kitchens with our Mulled Wine Recipe. This traditional spiced wine cocktail is so easy to make and serve in a big batch, so you and your guests can grab a mug, get cozy, and stay a while.
Mulled Wine is the ultimate comfort cocktail for warming up your friends and family throughout the fall and winter seasons. Sit back and relax while the Mulled Wine simmers on the stovetop (or in the slow cooker) and delivers all the holiday feels and scents of Christmas markets. Looking for more recipes inspired by the specific season? Check out our Seasons Inspired Recipes next!
WHAT IS MULLED WINE
Mulled Wine is a fruity and full-bodied hot wine. It is extremely popular in Europe and has become a favorite over here in the States. It is traditionally served in the cold season, especially during holiday gatherings, like our Cranberry Mimosa. This beautiful, festive cocktail is batch friendly and easy to make at home! Here at TAK we love to entertain! If you need recipes to help you host, we've got you covered!
Featuring a bold, dry red wine, Mulled Wine is simmered with warming spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, and orange. Traditional Mulled Wine recipes will call for a generous splash of sweet, boozy brandy and a citrusy, fruity touch thanks to ingredients like apple cider or fresh apple slices, fresh orange or tangerine, and sometimes even lemon.
If you're looking for another spiced cocktail that delivers all the cozy vibes, definitely give our Apple Cider Sangria a try!
BEST WINE FOR MULLED WINE
You'll want to reach for a red wine for this winter cocktail. Cabernet sauvignon, chianti, merlot, or malbec are the typical red wines to reach for to make this recipe.
Technically, you could use a red or white wine to make this Mulled Wine Recipe; however, white wine is not traditional.
MULLED WINE SPICES
In the traditional recipe, Mulled Wine spices consist of whole cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves or allspice. It is important to make sure to use whole spices and not ground spices.
If you want a bigger flavor, keep in mind that cloves are stronger than allspice.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR MULLED WINE
- Wine | Don't go all out on an expensive bottle of wine for this Mulled Wine Recipe as the flavors are going to be somewhat transformed thanks to the other ingredients. Grab yourself a decent-priced bottle of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, or merlot.
- Brandy | Brandy is a distilled spirit made from wine; it is fruity in flavor and somewhat sweet. If you don't want to spend the extra bucks on a bottle of brandy for this recipe, you can leave it out. If you happen to already have a bottle of orange-flavored liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau on hand, feel free to use that in the place of brandy.
- Fresh Citrus | Fresh citrus is such a difference maker when making cocktails, and we love what a little freshly squeezed orange juice can do for a Mulled Wine Recipe. Orange slices are also simmered with the wine, extracting all those zesty oils from the rind.
- Spices | Traditional mulling spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise bring all the cozy feels. You could also use chai or cinnamon tea bags to add warm spice flavor to your Mulled Wine. If you go that route, we recommend at least 2 tea bags in the place of Mulled Wine spices.
- Apple Cider | We use apple cider in this Mulled Wine Recipe for an extra touch of sweetness and added flavor. In the place of that, you could use a ¼ cup of maple syrup to add sweetness to this cocktail!
HOW TO MAKE MULLED WINE
This homemade Mulled Wine Recipe is super easy to make.
Combine the following ingredients:
- juice from 2 oranges,
- dry, bold red wine, such as a cabernet sauvignon, malbec, or merlot,
- apple cider,
- brandy,
- brown sugar,
- cinnamon sticks, and
- whole cloves.
Simmer over medium heat, keeping the temperature just below boiling. You should hear the liquid make a gentle murmuring sound, as the wine approaches boiling. When the simmer is up, use a fine mesh strainer to scoop out spices and fruit.
Serve in mugs, then garnish with a cinnamon stick, fresh slices of orange, and a star anise (if you don't mind the scent of licorice).
You can also garnish with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary for red and green touches, especially if you're serving around Christmastime!
MULLED WINE IN THE SLOW COOKER
Our Mulled Wine Recipe is great for cocktail parties! You can double or even triple the recipe since most slow cookers hold up to 5 quarts. Just add ingredients to the slow cooker on the low setting for about 30 minutes before party time. Then, turn it down to warm, and keep it on the warm setting throughout your party.
6 MORE COCKTAILS YOU’LL LOVE
- Apple Cider Sangria
- White Wine Sangria
- Irish Coffees
- Hot Toddy with Rum
- Cranberry Mimosa
- Pomegranate Martini
Apple Cider Sangria
White Wine Sangria
Irish Coffees
Hot Toddy With Rum
Cranberry Mimosa
Pomegranate Martini
Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 2 oranges
- 1 (750 ml) bottle dry, bold red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon, malbec, or merlot)
- ⅔ cup apple cider
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks, plus extra for garnish
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 apple, sliced (optional)
- Star anise for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Juice one of the oranges and set the juice aside. Slice one of the oranges and set aside.
- Add the wine, apple cider, brandy, brown sugar, orange juice, half of the orange slices, cinnamon, and cloves to a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Use a fine mesh sieve to remove the whole spices and orange from the pot.
- Divide the Mulled Wine amongst heat-proof mugs and garnish with cinnamon sticks, orange slices, apple slices, and star anise, if desired.
Nutrition
Source | Cognac Vs. Brandy
Leave a Reply