Spiced Mulled Wine
A holiday classic!
A few quick notes…
When selecting your wine, remember mulled wine works well with a more affordable bottle of wine since it will be heated so don’t feel the need to buy that $40 bottle of red. Avoid Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, since these usually do not blend as well with the spices.
Using smaller oranges means that the slices will fit in a mug, but 1 large orange will work just as well!
Yes, you really do want to buy the whole spices instead of ground spices for this recipe. It makes a world of difference, I promise!
Ingredients |
1 bottle Zinfandel or Merlot wine
2 fresh small oranges (not clementine)
2 whole cinnamon sticks
3 whole star anise
4 whole cloves
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (to taste)
1/4 cup whiskey or brandy (optional)
1/4 cup fresh cranberries (for garnish)
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Instructions |
Using a Dutch oven or your favorite pot, slice one orange and place the slices into the pot. Taking the second orange, cut it in half and squeeze the juice straight into the pot.
Pour the bottle of wine into the pot and then add the whiskey or brandy if you choose to add that as well.
Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey for now. You can always add a second tablespoon later if you’d like it to be sweeter!
Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise and whole cloves into the mix.
Heat the wine on medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes. Turn the temperature down once you start to see super tiny bubbles on the surface. Remember, we don’t want this to boil or over heat. That can make the wine overly spicy!
Turn the temperature to a “warming” setting or the lowest heat on your stove top. This is where you can taste the mulled wine and see if you’d like to add another tablespoon of sweetener.
If the mulled wine is not as spicy as you would like for it to be, continue cooking it on low for another 5-10 minutes or until it reaches your preferred spice level.
Once the mulled wine is done, turn off the heat and add the cranberries for a festive garnish.
Serve in mugs & enjoy!
