I am not a winter person. Even though I have spent most of my life in cold cities (Boston, New York, Beijing), I always dread their endless winters. Some people from northern climes can wax poetic about snow, fire places, and ski season. Me, I conjure up flu season, ugly long underwear, and bitter winds that lash across my face. No offense, Winter, but I would love to avoid you altogether by skipping to the tropics. Or hibernating until spring.
Until science finds a way for humans to sleep for 4 months, I am finding solace in the next best thing. Alcohol. More specifically, hot alcohol.
Mulled wine, also called Glühwein in Germany and Glögg in the Nordic countries, is simply wine heated up with spices and sugar. It’s an especially good drink to make if you live in a country devoid of good wine, like China. Domestic brands are mostly undrinkable, and any imported wines are either bottom-of-the-barrel gunk (literally?) or bottles 3 or 4 times the cost overseas. (How I miss Trader Joe’s wine shops.) With mulled wine, you can buy the cheapest wine that is still drinkable, and allow the spices and sugar to take charge.
For flavorings, I use a cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, golden raisins, and vanilla. Some recipes will also suggest blanched almonds, orange and lemon peels, and bitters. I like to use a strong-bodied red wine like cabernet, and you can also add some brandy or vodka. Think of this recipe as a template, and think of other possibilities. As for the cooking vessel, I just use a small pot, though I may have to try a Crock-Pot, which a reader on Maki’s Glühwein post on Just Hungry suggested.
The most important thing to remember about mulled wine is to not let it boil. Unless, of course, you’re aiming for non-alcoholic. Though for me, that would just make winter seem just a bit longer.
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More winter drink favorites:
Homemade Almond Milk with Bananas and Honey
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Mulled Wine
1 bottle full-bodied red wine, like cabernet or merlot
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
6 to 8 cloves
6 to 8 golden raisins
1 pinch nutmeg
1 vanilla bean or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
In a small saucepot, simmer wine and all other ingredients except sugar over low heat for about 30 minutes. Do not let the wine come to a boil. After 30 minutes, stir in sugar until fully melted. Take wine off heat, strain out solids, and serve while hot.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
For us here in the UK, Mulled Wine is traditionally a Christmas drink. I must admit that I am a Winter person, and the thought of a roaring open fire appeals much more than any summer images.
As winter draws in (we have already had our first snow) my wife and I have begun the debate about when to make the first batch of Mulled Wine. I don’t know why, but I’ve always thought that making mulled wine in the middle of November would remove the Christmas images traditionally associated with it.
So, my question is: Is it ever too early to start making Mulled Wine?
Bill – As retailers would have us believe, the Christmas season starts after Halloween.
I think an appropriate time to start making mulled wine could be when you 1) need to break out the thick coat, hats, scarves, etc. 2) start shivering inside your house 3) see snow 4) all of the above. Unfortunately in Beijing, I have had to wear my knee-length down comforter coat for the last 2 weeks, and was shivering in my house as early as mid-October. The mulled wine has been very comforting.
This is a good question, though. I’m interesting in what other commenters would say.
I love mulled wine (and also hate winter with a passion, living here in the former site of the Winter Olympics!) I have a recipe very similar to this one, but you add a small amount of grain alcohol (very strong) which really gives it a kick! I make it most years for my annual Christmas party. Not sure if I will get to have that party this year as my house currently is having renovations and I’m missing my porch, but hopefully!
Living in Montreal, this seems like the perfect recipe to learn how to make!
Given that we can answer (4) to the above, I think I will have to relent on my insistence that we wait until December before making mulled wine. My wife (她也是北京人) will be most pleased as she has been dying for a glass for some time now.
With regards the recipe, I’ve never been one for adding additional alcohol for that extra warmth. I prefer instead to let the spices and fruit work their magic alone. I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no perfect recipe and that every occasion deserves (or at least that is my excuse) a slightly different blend of spices.
Top tip: Always taste your Mulled Wine before you serve it to guests.
conchaytorousa.com
When Carrefour had their fall wine sale last month we purchased a case Casillero del Diablo. It will be great with this recipe.
Sounds great for chilly nights!
Hi, I want to make mulled wine for a christmas present, but will it only last a couple of days once made? Is there anyway I can make some to last a couple of weeks?
Thank you,
Un-experienced mulled wine maker!!
Wow. This feels good to read, as I drink my homemade Glühwein; Burgundy, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, lemon peel, and a tea bag of spices made for Glüwein. I like extra cloves and cinnamon. I was just researching the benefits of cloves and found this.
I can relate. I am also not a winter person and have said of late that I’ve become a bit of a “Glühweino” living here in Germany this Winter, this sunless, dreary, cold, long Winter with many more days to go….
Thanks for the contributions. I feel connected!
Hello Jennifer,
when you say Carrefour, you mean in China ?
I leave in Beijing and I am looking for the Casillero del Diablo Merlot 2008.
thank you in advance for your answer
Hi,
I live in Changchun, north east China. We haven’t got the same access to western ingredients that you get in Beijing. I’ve started to try and source the ingredients you list for mulled wine, but I’m having some trouble. Did you go anywhere special? Any tips?
Thanks.
Leon – I haven’t been to Changchun, but don’t worry, Beijing is not exactly a mecca for Western ingredients either, if you live outside the expat areas. If there is a Carrefour in town or even a pseudo-Western grocery store, I would start there.
Even living in Beijing, I still found myself hauling back Western and SE Asian ingredients when visiting Hong Kong, Macau, or Shanghai.
I like wines but never had them “mulled”. There are many awful tasting wines and this seems like a good idea to get the taste I want with cheaper wines. I ran away from winter many years ago and I now live in the tropics. I will try this but do you think that it will “fix” bad tasting wine and drinking at room temperature 80F