Perfect homemade mulled wine recipe with 7 simple ingredients and make-ahead tips included. Spice up your holiday with this warm & cozy winter drink.
Table of Contents
What is Mulled Wine?
Mulled wine, also known as glühwein in German, is a warm spiced wine popular in Europe, especially around Christmas time.
It’s typically made with red wine simmered with mulling spices.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Over the years, I’ve had various versions of mulled wine. Mulled wine made with glühwein teabags was my first introduction into the world of spiced wine. Then I’ve had it in a paper cup at a Parisian outdoor market. I’ve also tried a ready-to-use mulled wine spice mix, etc.
And I have to say homemade version is just as simple, and incredibly delicious!
- Super simple to make
- Pantry staples!!
- No star anise, if it’s not your thing.
- Customize it to your taste.
Key Ingredients:
My basic starting point is always the same:
- a whole orange
- whole cloves
- orange juice
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon sticks
Sometimes I grate a little bit of nutmeg, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I add cranberries, sometimes I don’t.
Why whole spices
When making mulled wine, it’s recommended to use whole spices, like whole cloves, cinnamon sticks or whole star anise.
The reason for that is you won’t get weird powdery texture in your spiced wine.
Also, fresh spices are easier to strain!
How to make this recipe:
It couldn’t be simpler to make this mulled wine!!
- Push a few cloves into the skin of an orange, and then cut the orange into quarters.
- Combine orange juice, cranberries, sugar, oranges with cloves in a pot.
- Cook the mixture until syrup-y.
- Then pour in wine and heat it through.
Tip
Once wine is added, be careful not to boil it, or the alcohol will evaporate, which is no big deal, but why would you do that??
Studding oranges with whole cloves takes away the hassle of fishing out tiny little cloves!
You’ll still get that warm cloves aroma in your wine.
What type of wine is best for mulled wine?
Any dry, full-bodied wine works perfectly!
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, or Pinot Noir are all great choices. And nothing fancy here, but something that you like to sip on on its own too!
What to Serve with Mulled Wine:
If you’re planning a menu to serve along with spiced wine, consider the following appetizer and main dishes:
- Baked brie makes a perfect appetizer to serve with a cup of warm wine.
- Prime rib is a classic holiday centerpiece and pairs perfectly with red wine!
- Pork schnitzel is a traditional pairing for glühwein in Germany and Austria.
- Bacon wrapped filet mignon is also a great choice.
Make-ahead Tip:
Mulled wine is a perfect holiday party drink! And you can totally make it ahead and even double it, if you want to.
- Make the spiced orange syrup in advance. And when ready to serve, mix it with wine and warm it up.
- Or better yet, place it in a slow cooker to keep it warm longer!!
FAQ:
Any dry, full-bodied wine works perfectly!
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, or Pinot Noir are all great choices. And nothing fancy here, but something that you like to sip on on its own too!
Cinnamon, star anise and clove are the classic spices in mulled wine. But you can always add some freshly grated nutmeg, cardamom,
Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 8-10 whole cloves
- 1 cup (240ml) orange juice
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup cranberries fresh or frozen, optional
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine Note 1
Instructions
- Cut an orange into quarters. Push 2-3 whole cloves into the outer skin of quartered oranges, as pictured above.
- In a large pot, combine orange juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange quarters with cloves and cranberries.
- Turn the heat to medium high and slowly heat the mixture, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
- Once sugar is dissolved completely, bring it to a boil and cook until it thickened and reduced by almost half, about 15-20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and pour in wine.
- Simmer until wine is heated through. Don’t boil, or alcohol will evaporate.
- You can strain the wine and pour into a slow cooker to keep it warm. Garnish with orange slices and serve warm.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on November 28th, 2014.
Hi there
Amazing recipe! Can you freeze this? I made the syrup today but only made half- rest is in the fridge
My family looks forward to drinking this every Christmas and New Years. It’s so easy to make and is absolutely delicious. I make the syrup on the stove and put it in the crockpot with the wine on warm for everyone to enjoy!
That sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing your experience, Joy!