Yet another classic from British Christmas festivities, mulled wine is a warm red wine with spices and citrus fruits. If you have never tried it, you are definitely missing out on a special experience. It is the perfect treat on a cold, winter night! I enjoy it even in a tropical climate because it brings back memories of my cold Christmas in England. 🙂
Another British Christmas favorite is Mince Pie – with a dab of brandy butter, it is irresistible! If you are looking for holiday gifting ideas or eggless Christmas cookie recipe, you may like our Ragi / Finger Millet Gingerbread Cookies. I bake a batch every year to give friends and family!
Mulled Wine Fun Facts!
One would think – Why would you spice wines or even heat it up?! It is believed that Romans began spicing wines in order to mask flavours of wine spoilt from bad harvest. Later on, Europeans also added spices to wine, for medicinal reason. They heated it to ward off the winter chills. So, how on earth did mulled wine become a Christmas drink? Well, a popular belief is that Charles Dickens had a great part in it. Dickens mentioned it in his classic ‘A Christmas Carol’. Turns out though old Mr.Scrooge despised Christmas, he enjoyed a warm mulled punch for Christmas – the ‘Smoking Bishop’!
“A merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you, for many a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob!” – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)
Tips for mulled wine variations
Making mulled wine at home is a breeze! It is a perfect last minute festive preparation. From my understanding, a concoction of red wine, spices, citrus fruits and a sweetener will give mulled wine. Some people add a bit of brandy too. For a non-alcoholic version, we can use grape juice or apple juice instead of wine. The colour of grape juice would be more appropriate for mulled wine because the wine used in it is most often red.
How long can we store mulled wine?
Leftover mulled wine can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Simmer in a saucepan on low flame before serving. Don’t let the mulled wine boil.
Enjoy a glass of warm mulled wine, served with cloves-studded orange slices (and a few cranberries perhaps) this Christmas! Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below!
Mulled Wine Recipe
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 Orange
- Peel of 1 Orange
- Peel of half a Lemon
- 8 nos. Cloves
- 1 or 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 2 nos. Star Anise
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 750 ml Red Wine
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Brandy optional
To Garnish
- Cloves-studded orange slices
- Cranberries
- Cinnamon stick
Instructions
- In a saucepan, take orange juice, orange peel, lemon peel, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and sugar. Heat till it boils.
- Continue boiling till the liquid reduces and thickens.
- Then, add red wine and honey. Simmer for 5 minutes. Don’t let the wine boil.
- Add Brandy, if you would like. Start with ¼ cup of brandy. Increase the brandy content as per your preference after tasting it. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Strain and serve warm with cloves-studded orange slices, cranberries and a cinnamon stick.
Notes
- If using a dry wine, you may need to add more sugar / honey.
- For non-alcoholic mulled wine, you can use grape juice or apple juice instead of wine, and skip adding brandy.
- Leftover mulled wine can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Simmer in a saucepan on low flame before serving.
Recipe adapted from Gimmesomeoven.
This post was originally published on 24 Dec 2017 and updated on 01 Dec 2020.
