Mulled wine is one of our favorite things to enjoy on a chilly evening in the winter and our Mulled Wine Recipe always hits the spot. It’s slightly sweet, perfectly spiced and just so delicious. The smell that fills up the whole house when making a big batch at home is also intoxicating. We love it so much and it’s incredibly easy to make!
What is Mulled Wine?
It is a spiced wine that is traditionally made with red wine and a variety of mulling spices (such as cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, etc). There are hundreds of ways to flavor mulled wine including with orange slices, apple slices, pomegranate seeds, etc.
Mulled Wine is commonly made and drank around Christmas time (and can be found served at many Christmas markets). Its origins come from Germany, where it is still especially popular today.
How to Make Mulled Wine
Ingredients
Process
- Place all ingredients into a pot.
- Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the honey and sugar dissolves.Once mixture has come to a boil, immediately lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove mixture from heat and strain. Ladle into heat resistant cups or mugs. Garnish each with a slice of orange, cinnamon stick and star anise. Serve.
Variations for Our Mulled Wine Recipe
- Replace the traditional cinnamon stick with Saigon cinnamon sticks for a subtle “red hot” and slightly sweet cinnamon flavor.
- Swap the fresh orange halves for a big splash of apple juice and a few apple slices.
- Use bourbon instead of brandy for a slightly smoky flavor.
- Add some fresh rosemary sprigs to the mixture for a piney, earthy fragrance.
Make Ahead and Reheating Instructions
Our mulled wine recipe can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Once it is made, cool completely and strain. Store the mulled wine in an airtight bottle in the refrigerator.
When ready to use, pour wine into a pot and simmer until just heated through.
Our mulled wine can also be made the same day as serving, and kept in the pot covered for up to 4 hours. When ready to use, uncover, simmer until just heated through.
What to Serve with Mulled Wine?
We love sipping on mulled wine, while enjoying snacks or a cozy meal. Some of our favorite things to eat with our mulled wine recipe are:
Appetizers and Snacks
- Honey Brûlée Brie – one of our favorite snacks to enjoy with our spiced wine is our honey brûlée brie and serving it with some cured meats, crackers (or crostini), some fresh or dried fruit (such as grapes, figs, sliced apples, dried apricots), olives, and nuts (like pistachios or marcona almonds). It’s also our favorite snack to serve when entertaining guests.
- Snack Mix – we could eat an entire batch of this snack mix in one sitting. It’s incredibly addictive and goes VERY well with our mulled wine!
- Fried Deviled Eggs – these rich and creamy deviled eggs are such a delicious treat and tastes great paired with the slightly sweet, spiced wine.
- Polenta Fries – we love these very snackable polenta fries and love enjoying a few dozen with a big mugful of our mulled wine!
Dinner
- Standing Rib Roast with Au Jus and Horseradish Sauce – we love serving this impressive dish to guests and it pairs perfectly with a warm mug of our mulled wine.
- Panko Crusted Lamb Chops – We love lamb and red wine and our panko crusted lamb and deeply spiced, warm red wine make a fantastic duo.
- Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes – one of the coziest combinations is our mouthwatering Swedish meatballs recipe with our warm spiced wine!
- Vegetable Loaded Vegan Korma – We love this rich, creamy and hearty dish and really love the smells that fill our kitchen when we’re simmering the korma and our mulled wine recipe at the same time!
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Mulled Wine Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (750ml) bottle red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon)
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 oranges, halved plus more slices for garnish
- 4 whole cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks plus more for garnish
- 2 whole star anise plus more for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all ingredients into a pot.
- Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the honey and sugar dissolves.Once mixture has come to a boil, immediately lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove mixture from heat and strain.
- Ladle into heat resistant cups or mugs.
- Garnish each with a slice of orange, cinnamon stick and star anise. Serve.
NOTES
- Replace the traditional cinnamon stick with Saigon cinnamon sticks for a subtle “red hot” and slightly sweet cinnamon flavor.
- Swap the fresh orange halves for a big splash of apple juice and a few apple slices.
- Use bourbon instead of brandy for a slightly smoky flavor.
- Add some fresh rosemary sprigs to the mixture for a piney, earthy fragrance.
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