If
sangria was made for the summer, then mulled wine is the drink of the winter. This traditional holiday drink is the warming, boozy beverage we love to cozy up to as soon as the weather starts to grow cold. Our classic recipe uses red wine, traditional warming spices, and brandy to create the perfect holiday drink to serve a crowd (or just yourself, no judgment here!). Keep reading on for all of our top tips on how to perfect it:
What is mulled wine?
Mulled wine is created by simmering red wine with a variety of warming spices, orange slices, brandy, and honey for around 10 minutes, until warm and combined. This long-standing drink originally dates back to ancient Roman times, where they would heat their wine with spices to keep them warm in the winter cold. Heated and spiced wine has now evolved throughout time to include different medleys of flavoring, including ginger, pepper, cardamom, and even herbs.
The best wine for mulled wine:
Personally, we like using dry varieties of red wine like Merlot, Malbec, or Cabernet Sauvignon. These will prevent your mulled wine from being too sweet, and will balance well with all of of our added spices. No need to splurge on an expensive bottle here—choose one of your favorites that you enjoy drinking, or check out our article on all of the major types of red wines to learn more.
The brandy:
While brandy is classic in mulled wine, it’s not entirely necessary. If you don’t like brandy, or don’t want to buy a bottle, skip it—all the other components will be lending plenty of boozy, spiced flavor to every sip.
Storage:
This drink is best enjoyed the day of, but if you have any leftover mulled wine, let it cool completely before storing for a day in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop when ready to enjoy.
Have you made this recipe? Let us know how you liked it in the comments below.
If
sangria was made for the summer, then mulled wine is the drink of the winter. This traditional holiday drink is the warming, boozy beverage we love to cozy up to as soon as the weather starts to grow cold. Our classic recipe uses red wine, traditional warming spices, and brandy to create the perfect holiday drink to serve a crowd (or just yourself, no judgment here!). Keep reading on for all of our top tips on how to perfect it:
What is mulled wine?
Mulled wine is created by simmering red wine with a variety of warming spices, orange slices, brandy, and honey for around 10 minutes, until warm and combined. This long-standing drink originally dates back to ancient Roman times, where they would heat their wine with spices to keep them warm in the winter cold. Heated and spiced wine has now evolved throughout time to include different medleys of flavoring, including ginger, pepper, cardamom, and even herbs.
The best wine for mulled wine:
Personally, we like using dry varieties of red wine like Merlot, Malbec, or Cabernet Sauvignon. These will prevent your mulled wine from being too sweet, and will balance well with all of of our added spices. No need to splurge on an expensive bottle here—choose one of your favorites that you enjoy drinking, or check out our article on all of the major types of red wines to learn more.
The brandy:
While brandy is classic in mulled wine, it’s not entirely necessary. If you don’t like brandy, or don’t want to buy a bottle, skip it—all the other components will be lending plenty of boozy, spiced flavor to every sip.
Storage:
This drink is best enjoyed the day of, but if you have any leftover mulled wine, let it cool completely before storing for a day in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop when ready to enjoy.
Have you made this recipe? Let us know how you liked it in the comments below.
Directions
-
- Step 1
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Bring to a simmer not a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Step 2Serve warm and garnish with more citrus slices and cinnamon sticks.
- Step 1
