Mulled Wine Recipes for the Holidays

As weather turns cold, and especially during the holidays, there's nothing like a nice mulled wine to warm you up. The traditional definition of mulled wine usually consists of red wine combined with a variety of spices and served warm. So simple to make, there's no reason not to add it your next dinner party or holiday party. It shows you went to more effort than just opening a bottle of wine. And it makes a nice nightcap. So here are some mulled wine recipes.

The recipe for mulled wine couldn't be simpler. Take a pint of wine, add in 1 cup of water, and sugar and spice to taste. Start with just the water boiling and add the spice and let it simmer until the flavor is extracted. Then add the wine and sugar, bring the entire mixture to a boil and serve.

The most popular spices for mulled wine include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace and sometimes vanilla. Any red wine can be mulled , but port and claret are the most popular. Of course, be sure that the pot used for mulling is clean and preferably kept only for mulling purposes as other uses can spoil the flavor of the wine itself.

In German-speaking countries, Gluhwein is popular. The Italians call it Vin Brul?. The Swedish version is known as Gl?gg. You make Gluhwein by taking red wine, then heating it while adding cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus peel, and a little sugar. A nice touch is to garnish the mug you serve it in with the cinnamon stick. Plus, it's functional because it allows you to stir your wine. For some variation, you might also add whole white cracked cardamom pods, use brown sugar (2 tablespoons should suffice), use a Madeira and even combine with another red like a good-quality burgundy. And some say never let the wine come to a boil at all, which also keeps the alcohol content higher since it doesn't evaporate off so much. For a spicier flavor, let the spices steep first for several hours or overnight in the cold water.

You can find other mulled wine recipes online, and even non-alcoholic mulled beverages as well, for teetotalers. Then enjoy that tasty beverage with friends as you feel the warmth right down to your toes!

Hectr is a food market research analyst dedicated to discovering and sharing information about the best values he finds in food and beverage including mulled wine recipes.