When the weather outside gets frightful, we can all agree that there’s nothing nicer than curling our hands around a piping hot mug filled with a
hot toddy, some mulled wine, or some spiked eggnog…that is, unless you’re not drinking alcohol. This year, rather than simply skip that sip of pure coziness, make this non-alcoholic mulled wine instead! It’s got the same warming spices, the touch of sweetness, and the gorgeous garnishes as the original, just sans booze. Read on for our top tips to make yours the best it can be. Cheers!
The wine.
In our regular mulled wine recipe, we recommend choosing a dry variety you enjoy, something like a Malbec, a Merlot, or a Cab Sauv that won’t break the bank. The same goes here, with a caveat. You can use your favorite red that has had the alcohol removed before bottling (the most common process), but we also implore you to do some exploring into all that the modern non-alcoholic “wine” industry has to offer. Renowned bands like Proxies or NON are using teas, juices, and other natural ingredients to mimic the wine drinking experience, and we think they’d make for a unique and tasty cup of mulled wine.
The spices.
We call for a sachet of mulling spices here, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Make your own using the same 6 whole cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, and 3 star anise from our original mulled wine rice, tucked into some cheesecloth or a tea bag. Feel free to adjust the spices if you prefer, or even add in some more (nutmeg or allspice would be nice).
The sweetener.
Sugar is classic here, but feel free to swap out for an alt like maple or honey. Keep in mind the base liquids you’re using here too. Unsweetened cranberry juice or fresh orange juice might need a bit of extra sweetness added, whereas bottled OJ or cranberry juice cocktail might be fine without. Add it to taste, remembering that you can always add more, but you can’t add less.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
When the weather outside gets frightful, we can all agree that there’s nothing nicer than curling our hands around a piping hot mug filled with a
hot toddy, some mulled wine, or some spiked eggnog…that is, unless you’re not drinking alcohol. This year, rather than simply skip that sip of pure coziness, make this non-alcoholic mulled wine instead! It’s got the same warming spices, the touch of sweetness, and the gorgeous garnishes as the original, just sans booze. Read on for our top tips to make yours the best it can be. Cheers!
The wine.
In our regular mulled wine recipe, we recommend choosing a dry variety you enjoy, something like a Malbec, a Merlot, or a Cab Sauv that won’t break the bank. The same goes here, with a caveat. You can use your favorite red that has had the alcohol removed before bottling (the most common process), but we also implore you to do some exploring into all that the modern non-alcoholic “wine” industry has to offer. Renowned bands like Proxies or NON are using teas, juices, and other natural ingredients to mimic the wine drinking experience, and we think they’d make for a unique and tasty cup of mulled wine.
The spices.
We call for a sachet of mulling spices here, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Make your own using the same 6 whole cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, and 3 star anise from our original mulled wine rice, tucked into some cheesecloth or a tea bag. Feel free to adjust the spices if you prefer, or even add in some more (nutmeg or allspice would be nice).
The sweetener.
Sugar is classic here, but feel free to swap out for an alt like maple or honey. Keep in mind the base liquids you’re using here too. Unsweetened cranberry juice or fresh orange juice might need a bit of extra sweetness added, whereas bottled OJ or cranberry juice cocktail might be fine without. Add it to taste, remembering that you can always add more, but you can’t add less.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
- Yields:
-
6
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 5 mins
- Total Time:
- 15 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 115
Directions
-
- Step 1
Put wine, cranberry and orange juice into a pan and heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and add spice sachet to the pan.
- Step 2Allow to infuse for 10 mins.
- Step 3Remove spice sachet, reheat to just boiling and stir in sugar.
- Step 4Pour into 6 heat-proof glasses and garnish each with half a slice of orange, a star anise and cinnamon stick.
- Step 1
Related Video: Mulled Wine
