Simple
warm mulled wine perfect for the holiday season and winter! It doesn’t get easier
than this. Red wine perfumed with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns,
ginger, bourbon and oranges, steeped over the stove making the entire house
smell like the holidays. One of our favorite ways to warm up during these cold
winter nights.
Homemade mulled wine is just about the easiest recipe you can find for winter and holiday entertaining. Honestly, there is no prep time, all you need to do is gather your ingredients and throw them in a sauce pot. It’s easy to scale anywhere from a “date night” for two…up to big holiday parties for a crowd. You can customize this recipe with some of your favorite spices … would have loved to add some fresh vanilla bean so if you have some throw it in the pot, and spike it with your favorite liqueurs we chose bourbon. Mulled wine is made in one pot, you can make it on the stovetop or slow cooker. Not only is this recipe easy but it smells AMAZING, better than any holiday candle. The entire house will smell like Christmas, it’s the perfect aromatic for hosting a party, you’ll get everyone’s taste buds salivating and it’s guaranteed to warm up your guests on a chilly winter night.
There
is no need to stand behind a bar this holiday season and craft individual
cocktails for your guests. Impress your guests with a simple pot of mulled wine
simmering on the stove, set up some glasses, garnishes and a ladle allowing
your guests to serve themselves and soak in the holiday spirit while you mingle
with a generous mug of goodness.
Here is a breakdown of the ingredients used for
this mulled wine recipe, remember its totally customizable but here is what you
will need:
Wine: No need to break the bank on this
one — any basic bottle of dry red light to medium bodied wine will do. If
you’re making a big batch go for the boxed wine this is a great way to save
money (don’t worry your guests wont no and they will already be impressed
because it smells so good!)
Fresh oranges: I like to throw in
some fresh orange slices to add some citrus notes and balance out the
bitterness, you can also add orange peel and keep some fresh orange slices for
garnishing the drinks
Cinnamon: Make sure to use cinnamon
sticks, the ground stuff can add a texture to the wine if not whisked enough,
plus the sticks make for an elegant garnish sure to impress your guests.
Ginger: This adds a nice element of
spice, you can peel a small pieces and just throw it in for a more subtle
flavour or add some slices if you’re looking for a more prominent ginger taste.
Mulling spices: These vary in mulled
wine from country to country, but whole cloves, peppercorns and star anise are my favorites. If I had
some I would have loved to add some fresh vanilla bean, I find these notes in
wine so satisfying
Sugar: Sugar is classic, you can
add less if your like us and you try to cut back on sugar or even a few
tablespoons of maple syrup or honey
will do the trick
Liqueur: Traditional recipes are
spiked with an extra bit of liqueur. We went with bourbon which adds a nice
warmth to the wine. Feel free to spike a bit of brandy or cognac. This is an
optional step so it’s really up to you to decide.
Simple warm mulled wine perfect for the holiday season and winter! It doesn’t get easier than this. Red wine perfumed with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, ginger, bourbon and oranges, steeped over the stove making the entire house smell like the holidays. One of our favorite ways to warm up during these cold winter nights.
Cook Time15mins
Total Time15mins
Course: Christmas
Servings: 4
Author: the communal feast
Ingredients
1bottle light/medium bodied red wineI used Meiomi Pinot Noir – Fantini is another great affordable choice
¼cupbourbonI used Makers Mark
½cupsugar
2cinnamon sticks
½cuppeppercorns
4whole cloves
3star anise
1orangesliced
1small piece of gingerpeeled
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
3. To serve, strain peppercorns and ginger and pour wine into mugs and garnish with a slice of orange, a star anise, and cinnamon stick!
Notes
The longer you let this simmer, the more spiced your mulled wine will become. This is a good thing—until it’s not. After 30 minutes, the tannins can start to breakdown, your wine can turn bitter. Make sure to turn the heat off after 30 minutes and cover the mulled wine to keep it warm