The warm drink with the classic wintry spices is inextricably linked to the Advent season and Christmas. And although mulled wine can already be bought ready-made in bottles, it is far better to make it yourself. We’ll show you everything you need to know about the topic and have more than just a mulled wine recipe ready.
Mulled wine: A trip into history
To get to the beginnings of mulled wine, you need to travel back to antiquity. Even in the Middle Ages , wine with spices was known and loved under the name Hypocras. One of the oldest recipes that can be found in Germany dates back to the 19th century. Anise, nutmeg, cardamom, honey and sugar already belonged in the drink here.
The finished mulled wine, on the other hand, has existed since 1956. This is undoubtedly a practical product. However, creative connoisseurs with a sense for a certain amount of leisure are recommended to make their own mulled wine.
Homemade mulled wine: What is important?
If you want to cook mulled wine in your own kitchen, you will find exciting recipes further down in this article. But before that happens, there are a few interesting things to tell about the preparation. Because the independent cooking of mulled wine has the following advantages:
- More creativity in the kitchen
- Bring in your own wine preferences
- Determine the ingredients yourself
Furthermore, there are a few points to consider so that the mulled wine accompanies winter moments in an enjoyable and stylish way.
Which wine is the right one for mulled wine?
A good wine forms the basis for every mulled wine. A drop of between eight and fifteen euros is the best service here. The wines should be fruity and appear with moderate tannins. It is also advisable to choose medium-bodied wines, as they do not overwhelm the ingredients in mulled wine.
Mulled wine and temperature: beware of the heat!
It is important that mulled wine does not boil or get hotter than eighty degrees Celsius. On the one hand, alcohol evaporates from a temperature of 78 degrees Celsius, on the other hand, the quality of the spices could change at high temperatures. In addition, at higher temperatures, hydroxymethylfurfural can form as a possibly carcinogenic breakdown product of sugar.
Organic mulled wine: it all depends on the ingredients
With an organic mulled wine, not only the wine itself should come from an organic winery. It is particularly important that ingredients such as orange slices and lemon zest also bear an organic certificate. Otherwise the shells may contain pesticides and other treatment agents.
Also Read: Orange Wine – Some Basic Info
Sugar: Moderate is better for the head
No question: mulled wine always tastes best slightly sweet. A certain amount of sugar therefore makes the Christmas treat. However, too much sugar is not recommended, because the sweeter the wine, the easier it is to drink. This in turn means that the mulled wine makes you drunk faster. In addition, there may also be an unpleasant “hangover” the next day.
Tip: If you choose sweet wine as a base, you need less sugar in the preparation.
Kitchen Utensils: Better not to use them
If you want to refine and cook mulled wine, it is best to use stainless steel, wood or suitable plastics for kitchen utensils. Tin, brass, copper and aluminum are not suitable as auxiliaries. They may leave harmful substances in the wine.
How long does mulled wine keep?
Finished mulled wine from the bottle usually has a shelf life of several years. Here it is worth doing a smell test after opening. Unpleasant smells indicate that the drink is no longer good. It is best to enjoy homemade mulled wine immediately after cooking. This is mainly because more frequent heating affects the quality negatively. If you keep it anyway, you should not do so for more than four days and always carry out a smell test.
Is mulled wine vegan?
The question of whether mulled wine is vegan is important. After all, there are more and more people who decide against animal products for various reasons. The following applies here: Individual ingredients such as honey are not vegan. In the meantime, however, there is an adequate replacement for them on the supermarket shelf. Even with wine for mulled wine, it is necessary to pay attention to a vegan label, since wine is often clarified with substances of animal nature.
Also Read: Vegan Wines – Learn More About the Vegan Wines
Mulled wine and calories: is wine an energy bomb?
Alcohol and sugar are found in mulled wine. Therefore, it is actually a drink that is less suitable for calorie-conscious connoisseurs. How many calories the wine has exactly depends on the recipe. Undoubtedly, it is advisable not to overdo it with the pleasure. But a cup at the weekend certainly doesn’t spoil the slim figure.
A recipe for every taste: make your own mulled wine
The Christmas warm and spicy mulled wine comes in many forms today. There are recipes for mulled wine in white or red, with a shot and also without alcohol. The nice thing about it: Every mulled wine recipe is easy to prepare without any previous knowledge or special utensils.
Scandinavian mulled wine – classic recipe from the north
The Scandinavian version, also called Glögg mulled wine, tastes particularly delicious.
Ingredients:
- 0.75 l red wine
- 0.2 l vodka
- 150g brown sugar
- ten cardamom pods and ten cloves each
- a piece of star anise
- about two inches of fresh organic ginger root
- an organic orange
- 100g raisins
Preparation:
- For the Glögg mulled wine, first rinse the orange with hot water and then grate the peel. Cut the fruit into slices and put two slices with the peel in a saucepan.
- Add the sugar, the sliced ginger root, the spices and the wine to the saucepan and mix well.
- Now slowly heat the wine. As soon as gentle bubbles begin to appear, turn off the heat and let it simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
- After the brewing time, turn off the heat, add the vodka and let the Glögg mulled wine rest for a quarter of an hour.
- Strain the wine through a sieve, divide the raisins into five cups and pour the glögg over them.
Grandma’s mulled wine: plump like under a blanket
Grandma’s mulled wine tastes like classic Christkindl mulled wine. Nuances of jam, spices and honey are part of the aromatic profile.
Ingredients:
- 0.75 l red wine
- 1 organic orange
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cloves
- 4 star anise
- 2 tablespoons of cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons of honey
Preparation:
- Wash the orange in hot water, cut into slices and put them in a saucepan with all the other ingredients.
- Heat over medium-high, then reduce the heat to low and allow the mulled wine to rest for about an hour.
- Pour the wine through a sieve and serve.
White mulled wine for snowy days
An exciting highlight is white mulled wine. The recipe is classic and yet special.
Ingredients:
- 0.75 l white wine, dry
- 1 organic orange
- 3 cloves
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 2 star anise
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 100ml rum, white
Preparation:
- Wash the orange under hot water, cut into slices and place in a saucepan with all the other ingredients.
- Slowly heat the white mulled wine until it steams well. Then turn off the heat and let it steep for about half an hour.
- Pour everything through a sieve, add the rum and pour the mulled wine into cups.
Glowing gin instead of glowing wine
The gin mulled wine is completely different from the usual recipes. No wine is used here, but an exciting mixture of ginger ale and gin .
Ingredients:
- 0.5 l naturally cloudy apple juice
- 1 l orange juice
- 500 ml ginger ale
- 1 organic orange
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 5 pieces of star anise
- 300 ml gin
Preparation:
- First mix the juices, the ginger ale, the spices and the grated orange zest in a saucepan.
- Heat everything carefully and leave to steep for a quarter of an hour at around seventy degrees Celsius.
- Turn off the temperature, pour the brew over a sieve and add the gin. Serve while still warm.
Non-alcoholic mulled wine for children and adults
Alcohol-free mulled wine is ideal for all those who want to experience alcohol-free winter enjoyment. Anyone who still has to drive a car, for example, is well advised to do so. The mulled wine in this form is suitable for children, since juices serve as the basis.
Ingredients:
- 1 liter of red grape juice
- 0.5 liter of apple juice
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
Preparation:
- Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat slowly.
- After about half an hour, take the cinnamon stick out of the pot and serve the mulled wine.
Conclusion: Bring Christmas moments home with homemade mulled wine
It’s surprisingly easy to make delicious mulled wine yourself. If you want, you can also try the non-alcoholic version with a non-alcoholic wine . Then it is important to pay attention to whether it is alcohol-free or reduced-alcohol wine. In any case, mulled wine brings the cozy feeling of Christmas and Advent markets into your own four walls. And with the right drop, even in a particularly exclusive way.