Mulled wine: history of origin, traditions, recipes. Warming winter mulled wine: what it is, ingredients, recipes and much more Mulled wine recipe at home

13.02.2024 From vegetables

The cold season is the best time to pamper yourself, as well as your family and friends, by preparing hot, delicious mulled wine with your own hands. Friendly gatherings over a glass or two of this wonderful drink will warm your souls and add joy to your hearts.

German mulled wine - classic recipe

This mulled wine recipe is considered a classic for cooking at home. As we will see below, many drinks of this type are prepared using similar technology. By the way, they can be brewed from both store-bought and homemade wine.

List of ingredients

Honey – 1 tbsp. l.

Cinnamon – 1 pinch

Cardamom – 1 pinch

Nutmeg – 1 pinch

Cloves – 6 pcs.

Lemon – ½ pc.

Cooking method

Pour the wine into a suitable heat-resistant container and put on fire. While heating, add honey and spices, as well as freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir the contents of the container until the foam that appears due to the spices disappears. Then turn off the heat and leave the drink for 15 minutes under a tight lid.

Attention! Never allow the liquid to boil. Its temperature should not go beyond 70-80 °C. This rule is fundamental for anyone who wants to properly brew any drink from this series.

List of ingredients

Water – 150 ml

Honey – 1 tbsp. l.

Lemon – 1 pc.

Orange – 1 pc.

Cloves – 2-3 pcs.

Cinnamon – 1 stick

Cooking method

Boil water with cloves and cinnamon, then cool and strain the resulting decoction. Pour the wine into a saucepan and put on fire. Add spiced water, honey and finely chopped citrus fruits. Bring the liquid to the required temperature, remove it from the heat and pour into glasses. You can use orange slices as decoration.

List of ingredients

Honey – 1-2 tbsp. l.

Raisins – 30 g

Apple – 1-2 pcs.

Grated ginger – 1 pinch

Cardamom – 6 pcs.

Cinnamon – 2 sticks

Allspice black pepper – 5 peas

Cloves – 7 pcs.

Cooking method

Cut the apples into small slices, then place the wine and all other ingredients in the appropriate container and follow the classic recipe.

Mulled wine with orange and cinnamon

This simple recipe can be optionally supplemented with other spices that suit the occasion.

List of ingredients

Blood orange juice – 400 ml

Orange – 1 pc.

Cinnamon – 2 sticks

Brown sugar – 125 g

Cooking method

Mix wine and juice. Add sugar, cinnamon and orange zest cut into thin strips. Stir the sugar until completely dissolved, then put the liquid on the fire and bring it to the appropriate temperature. The drink is served with orange slices.

This is just one of many variations on the Christmas theme. So, there are modifications that involve adding nutmeg, ginger, hibiscus or even brewed black tea.

List of ingredients

Orange juice – 250 ml

Lemon – 1 pc.

Orange – 1 pc.

Honey – 2 tbsp. l.

Cloves – 4 pcs.

Star anise – ½ tsp.

Cinnamon – ½ tsp.

Cardamom – ½ tsp.

Cooking method

Mix wine, juice, honey, spices and washed sliced citrus fruits in a heat-resistant bowl and heat to 80 °C. Leave the resulting result for 15 minutes under a tight lid.

If desired, apples can be replaced with other fruits, for example: plums or peaches.

List of ingredients

Honey – 1 tbsp. l.

Apple – 1 pc.

Cinnamon – 2-3 sticks

Cloves – 6 pcs.

Cooking method

Cut the fruit into thin slices, then place all the ingredients in a heat-resistant container and follow.

Tangerine mulled wine - a recipe for Santa Claus

Apparently, the result should be something very New Year's.

List of ingredients

Tangerines – 6 pcs.

Honey - tsp.

Cloves – 5 pcs.

Cinnamon – 2 sticks

Allspice – 2 peas

Cooking method

Peel the tangerines and divide them into slices, then load all the ingredients into an enamel pan and turn to.

Mulled wine from Cahors

This drink uses cognac brandy, which, at your discretion, can be replaced with any liqueur. Although, according to some enthusiasts, one does not interfere with the other.

List of ingredients

Mulled wine - recipe with ginger

Ginger root is a mulled wine seasoning for everyone. But if you are one, then you can safely add this ingredient to hot drinks prepared not only from white, but also from red wine.

List of ingredients
Cooking method

Cut the orange into slices and the apple into thin slices. Then place everything in a heat-resistant container and turn to classic German technology from.

List of ingredients
Cooking method

Place cloves, cinnamon, regular and vanilla sugar in a container of water and boil. Set aside the resulting mixture for about 15 minutes. Place the wine in a heat-resistant container on the fire. Add ginger, chopped walnut kernels and grated lemon zest. Then pour in slightly cooled water with spices and bring the drink to the canonical temperature of 70°C. After this, remove it from the heat and pour into mugs.

Mulled wine with Riga balsam

Cinnamon stick – 1 pc.

Cloves – 3 pcs.

Honey – 4 tbsp. l.

Nutmeg – 1 pinch

Orange – 1 pc.

Cardamom - to taste

Cooking method

In a saucepan, mix Riga balsam black, wine and all spices.

Over low heat, bring the mixture to 50–60 degrees, add orange slices and simmer a little more, without bringing to a boil.

Then remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Before serving, strain the drink through a strainer and add honey.

It is better to serve mulled wine in warm glasses.

Questions and answers about mulled wine

Which wine is best for mulled wine?

This, as they say, is a matter of taste. However, according to many experts in the field, the combination of citrus fruits with warmed white wine is something unique.

Why can't you boil mulled wine?

Yes, because the boiled substance will completely lose all alcohol and, accordingly, will lose a significant part of its flavor bouquet.

Is it possible to reheat mulled wine?

The answer to this question is ambiguous. In principle, a cooled drink can be reheated on the stove or even in the microwave, but you should keep in mind that it will, again, lose some of the alcohol, gaining in return a richer spicy taste.

Mulled wine in a slow cooker

Adherents of ultra-modern technologies strongly recommend using a kitchen multicooker to prepare the drink we are interested in. According to them, the tightness of this device ensures a higher saturation of the drink with volatile aromas released by many spices and fruits. For the same reason, mulled wine will retain its maximum temperature during the final infusion. As for the temperature itself, it, like the cooking duration (usually 15 minutes), can be programmed in advance.

Fans of multicookers consider the only inconvenience to be the need to select the appropriate cooking mode for different models of the mentioned devices. At the same time, they recommend experimenting with programs such as “stewing,” “frying,” “multi-cook,” and “steamer.”

On our own behalf, we would like to add that this kitchen appliance can only be used if all the necessary ingredients are initially loaded. If the drink recipe requires their gradual addition, then the multicooker will be completely useless.

Mulled wine on the fire

In principle, you can brew mulled wine outdoors using a fire. To do this, at a minimum, you need to have wine, a pot, a stable tripod and something suitable for stirring the contents of a camp vessel. If you are an experienced hiker, then you may have sugar and perhaps even allspice in stock. In addition, it doesn’t hurt to wander around the neighborhood in search of some small plot of land and beg its owners for a couple of apples, pears or plums.

Well, or you can do without romance. Namely, plan everything ahead of time and take with you not only wine, lemon, honey and spices, but also a special hiking thermometer. For especially down-to-earth individuals, there are always ready-made wine mixtures waiting for them on store shelves and requiring only simple heating.

At the same time, no matter what option you choose, the main thing is not to forget to stir the contents of the pot and have time to remove it from the tripod in time.

In different areas of human activity there are very ancient and truly phenomenal inventions. The dates of their appearance have been lost in the darkness of centuries. But they are so popular today as if they were know-how and invented quite recently. Mulled wine belongs to their category.

Mulled wine (German: Glühwein (glühwein) from glühender Wein - flaming wine, hot wine) is a hot alcoholic drink based on red wine, heated to 70-80 degrees with sugar and herbs (spices). Traditionally used in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic at Christmas markets and holidays held in the open air. In some countries, mulled wine is also drunk on Halloween. (Wikipedia)

In this publication we will not make an excursion into the history of this wonderful drink. Much has already been said about this and if you wish, you can find information on the Internet. Now let's talk about the main thing - how to make mulled wine at home and about the rules that must be followed in the process of preparation and consumption.

Rules for preparing various mulled wine recipes at home

Warming up is the most important step in preparing mulled wine.

The most important condition for preparing good mulled wine (subject to all other conditions) is the duration and thoroughness of heating. There are two options: warm it up for a long time and slowly, or heat it quickly and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Some recipes advise making a concentrated syrup of spices and herbs and then adding wine, which is also acceptable.

The optimal temperature of the drink is 70°C. The wine should not boil! Boiling will ruin it irreversibly. It is better not to reach the specified temperature than to exceed it.

Keep the mulled wine on the fire until the white foam that appears at the beginning of heating disappears.

Wines for making mulled wine

Wine for mulled wine is young red dry, semi-dry or white dry, and also, in theory, red semi-sweet.

In theory, because the semi-sweet wines on sale are mostly produced in violation of technology and are not suitable for mulled wine. They should be called flavored wine drinks, because they consist of alcohol, grape concentrate powder diluted with water, citric acid, flavorings, etc. Even on the world market of semi-sweet wines of natural fermentation there are not so many, because their production involves a rather complex technological process .

Dessert wines are also not suitable for making mulled wine due to their high sugar content (20%) and strength (17%).

What remains is young dry or semi-dry red wine, which is simple in technology and therefore inexpensive. Moreover, there is no need to strive to purchase elite vintage wines. They are good in themselves, and they will cost a lot for such an affordable drink as mulled wine. As for white wine, only dry wine is used.

The best wine option for making mulled wine is ordinary table red dry or semi-dry wines that do not have a pronounced aroma. The sugar content is low (0.3 g/cm³ for dry wines, and 3-12 g/dm³ for semi-dry wines). Of the white wines, only dry ones are suitable for mulled wine.

Here is a small list of proven, good wines for making mulled wine:

Red wines for mulled wine:

Saperavi – made in Georgia
Pinot Noir de Gai-Kodzor – produced in Russia
Casillero del Diablo Carmenere made in Chile
Simonsig - made in South Africa

White wines for making mulled wine:

Likuriya (dry) - made in Russia
Voskevaz (dry) – made in Armenia
Simonsig (semi-dry) – made in South Africa

Water in mulled wine recipes

Mulled wines are prepared with and without water. Water is diluted to soften the taste of the wine, and it goes without saying that it must be soft and of high quality. In this case, water acts as a catalyst for oxidative processes, as a result of which the flavor range and bouquet of aromas become more pronounced. People invented diluting wine with water a long time ago. Traditionally, this drink is drunk in Georgia, Greece and other countries where the winemaking culture is at a high level.

The amount of water for mulled wine should not exceed 1 glass per liter of wine.

Water is added in two ways. The first is to boil the required amount of water shortly before use. Spices are heated in wine over low heat. Then carefully and gradually add hot water, pouring in around the edge. You cannot suddenly pour hot water into hot wine, as this will ruin the taste of the drink.

The second method is to first brew spices in water, boil for 2-3 minutes, then add sugar, and at the very end - wine.

When added to a good wine, water reveals its taste and aroma. But when mixed with low-quality wine, water reveals its shortcomings.

Spices and herbs for making mulled wine

You should not buy ready-made crumbly mixtures for mulled wine that are on sale; it is better to use them separately - cloves, ginger root, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, etc.

The composition of additives can be very diverse. But the main spices that are used in almost all recipes are cinnamon and cloves. Below is a list of spices, herbs, and fruits that can be used to make mulled wine at home.

Cinnamon
Carnation
Cardamom
Star anise
Shaftran
Ginger
Coriander
Nutmeg
Bay leaf
Pepper
Citrus fruits or citrus zest
Nuts
Dried berries and fruits (figs, prunes, raisins, dried apricots, apples, dates, etc.)
You can also add fruit juices - orange, pear, strawberry, apple, etc.

Mulled wine is a creative drink. The composition of ingredients is selected according to preference, or what happens to be at hand. In both cases, the value of the drink will not change.

It is important not to get carried away with adding herbs, spices and other additives. They play the role of accents in the taste of the drink and should not overwhelm the aroma and taste of the wine. Their task is to complement the wine bouquet, creating a unique composition of taste and smell.

Honey, due to the fact that at temperatures above 40 ° C, loses its healing qualities, is added not just at the end of preparing mulled wine, but as it cools.
They drink mulled wine hot, from transparent, tall glasses (the evaporation area is small, the wine does not cool down so quickly), preferably with a thick bottom.
The strength of mulled wine is ideally 7% (by German standards).
Mulled wine cannot be stored, except that it can be poured into a thermos for a while, after removing the lemon slices (so that the bitterness does not pass into the drink). Therefore, corked bottles of mulled wine that appear on sale are nothing more than a money grab.
Wine can only be heated once. Immediately after preparation, the drink should steep for 15 minutes (if required by the recipe). Then it is strained, poured into glasses, garnished with slices of fruit and drunk. If you didn’t have time to drink mulled wine while it’s hot, it’s better to drink it while it’s cool than to warm it up. Cannot be heated.

Here are basically all the secrets of making mulled wine at home using any recipe. It would seem like a simple drink, but there are so many nuances! Below we will present several mulled wine recipes that can easily be implemented in your kitchen. And if you carefully read all the tips and recommendations, then your mulled wine will definitely turn out tasty and aromatic.

How to make mulled wine - homemade recipes

Recipe No. 1 - Classic recipe for mulled wine at home (Pokhlebkin V.V. Culinary Dictionary)

Ingredients: Dry black tea – 5 teaspoons
Fruit juice without pulp (apple, cherry, grape) – 0.5-0.7 l
Dry red wine – 250 ml
Sugar 100-200 g
Lemon zest, lemon juice
Raisins, nuts
Spices (cinnamon, cloves, star anise) Preparation: Pour wine, fruit juices (preferably a mixture of several juices) into an enamel pan, add sugar, lemon juice and zest, spices, cover with a lid and put on low heat to warm up. Meanwhile, brew 5 teaspoons of prepared tea in 1 liter of water and let it sit for a while so that the tea leaves sink to the bottom. When the sugar dissolves in the wine and juices, pour in the tea. It is important that tea should be poured into wine, but not vice versa. Heat for some more time, without bringing to a boil. Place prepared raisins and nuts into glasses, pour in strained mulled wine. If the drink is prepared for children, no wine is added.

Recipe No. 2 – Mulled wine with dry red wine and ginger

Ingredients: 750 ml dry red wine
Small ginger root
Glass of water
1 cinnamon stick
Medium sized apple
Orange
5 carnation umbrellas
Honey – 3 tablespoons. Preparation: Cut the apple and orange into slices. Pour a glass of water and boil in a heat-resistant container for 3-5 minutes. Then the orange segments must be removed so that they do not transfer bitterness to the wine. Cool the brewed water to 60-70°C, carefully pour in the wine and place on low heat. We must be careful that the mulled wine does not boil. Remove from heat when the white film disappears from the surface of the drink. The cocktail should sit for 15 minutes, gradually cooling. Add honey, stirring well. And the last thing to do before serving is to strain and pour into glasses.

Recipe No. 3 – Mulled wine with dry red wine and nutmeg

Ingredients: dry red wine – 750 ml
Water – half a glass
Sugar – 1 tablespoon
Nutmeg – 1
Carnation – 7 umbrellas. Preparation: Peel and chop the nutmeg. Pour water over the nuts and cloves and boil for just a short time – just over a minute. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Heat the wine in a suitable container, after adding sugar. Carefully pour the previously obtained spice decoction into the wine. Continue heating to 70°C. There is no need to infuse the cocktail. Strain immediately and serve.

Recipe No. 4 – Mulled wine with citrus fruits, dry red wine and cognac

Ingredients: Wine – 750 ml
Cognac – 90 ml
Lemon
Orange
Cinnamon – 2 sticks
Carnation – 4 umbrellas
Apricot jam – 50 g Preparation: Mix wine and cognac in a bowl for preparing mulled wine. Cut citrus fruits into slices with peel. Add jam, citrus fruits, spices to the wine. Heat over low heat to 70°C. There is no need to defend. Immediately strain and pour into containers.

Recipe No. 5 – Mulled wine on dry white wine with cranberries

Ingredients: Dry white wine – 750 ml
Water – half a glass
Cranberries – 100 g
Ginger – root 5 cm
Allspice – 4 peas
Honey Preparation: Grate the ginger on a fine grater. Mix all ingredients, except honey, with wine in a thick-bottomed bowl. Heat slowly to the desired temperature (70°C). Remove from heat, strain and cool to 40°C. Add honey.

Recipe No. 6 – Mulled wine with dry white wine and tangerines

Ingredients: Dry white wine – 750 ml
Tangerines – 6 pieces
Lemon – 0.5 pieces
Cinnamon – 2 sticks
Carnation – 4 umbrellas
Ginger
Allspice – 3 peas
Honey – 3 tablespoons Preparation: Grate the ginger (5 cm root), divide the tangerines into slices. Pour wine over spices and fruits. Heat over low heat to 70°C. Let it brew and cool a little. Strain and add honey. The drink is ready.

Recipe No. 7 – coffee mulled wine with semi-dry white wine

Ingredients: Semi-dry white wine – 750 ml
Coffee (strong brewed) – glass
Sugar – 3 tablespoons
Orange
Cinnamon – 1 stick
Cloves – 3 umbrellas Preparation: Brew coffee separately (remember that properly brewed coffee is not boiled). Pour the orange, cut into slices, and all other ingredients except coffee, and heat over very low heat to 70°C. Add coffee and heat a little more, without bringing to a boil. Strain and pour into glasses.

We have provided several recipes with red and white wines. After looking at them, you will draw certain conclusions for yourself regarding the dosage of certain components. And, for sure, create your own mulled wine recipes.

We just want to draw your attention to the following fact:

Drinking hot wine with herbs and spices is pleasant and healthy in small doses. Not only the alcohol component, but also the active substances contained in the supplements dictate the need for a reasonable dosage. Two glasses for the evening are more than enough. Mulled wine is not a drink that can be drunk in liters.

Homemade mulled wine is a warm, spicy drink based on red wine. You can enjoy a warming drink on a winter evening or simply in cold weather not only in establishments, but in a cozy home environment. It’s not difficult to make, you just need to understand the recipe and choose the most suitable one.

Mulled wine recipe at home

The drink not only warms the body, but also spreads warmth into the very heart. This is an excellent tool for intimate conversations on cold evenings. There are two main types of mulled wine: classic and non-alcoholic. And many variations have been invented, depending on what you want to complement the drink with.

Composition of mulled wine

For preparation, take sweet, semi-sweet, semi-dry table or dry red wine. You don’t have to choose very expensive brands or perennial varieties - when the temperature rises and spices are added, the original bouquet of taste will be lost. If you bought white wine, then during the cooking process you need to add more sweetness - approximately 3 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Classic mulled alcoholic wine is made in two ways: with the addition of water and without.

To prepare a drink with water you need:

750 ml wine;
100 ml water;
1 tbsp. l. Sahara;
1 pinch of ground nutmeg;
1 tsp. chopped ginger;
5 pieces. clove buds;
1 stick or 0.5 tsp. ground cinnamon.

You can add cardamom, apples, lemon, lime, orange, cranberries, currants or nuts to the drink if you prefer. They also add raisins, vanillin, raspberries, black pepper, bay leaves, honey, star anise, etc. Spicy wine is sometimes supplemented with cognac or rum.

Making mulled wine

To make a warming and healthy drink, you need:

Mix water and spices in a saucepan.
Heat over medium heat to 100°C (boiling) and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the broth to infuse.
Pass through a sieve.
Combine the broth, sugar and wine in a saucepan.
Heat over low heat to a temperature of 70-78°C. Do not allow it to boil!
Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let steep for 30 minutes until the fragrant bouquet is fully revealed.

To prepare mulled wine without water, the procedure is as follows:

Add wine and spices to the pan.
Over low heat, stirring constantly, heat to 78°C. The substance should not boil. Remove from heat and cover with a lid.
Leave to steep for 50 minutes.

There is a special recipe for treating colds:

700 ml red wine;
3 tbsp. l. honey;
0.5 lemon;
1 apple;
2 pcs. cardamom;
1-1.5 tsp. ground ginger;
0.5 tsp. chopped nutmeg;
6 pcs. clove buds;
4 things. black pepper.

And the remedy is prepared as follows:

Cut the lemon and apple into slices.
Pour wine into the pan, add spices and stir.
Heat to 70-78°C and turn off the heat.
Cover with a lid and let stand for half an hour.
Add lemon and apple. Close the lid for another 10 minutes.
Strain the resulting liquid and pour into a glass.

It is better to take 200-300 ml before bed.

For those who don't drink alcohol, there is an alternative. Wine is replaced with grape, cherry or apple juice and even tea.

Non-alcoholic mulled wine recipe

You can add the same spices, berries and fruits to the non-alcoholic composition (proposed below in the article) as in the alcoholic version.

Composition of mulled wine from grape juice

To prepare a warming non-alcoholic product you need:

1 liter of grape juice (preferably dark);
4 pods of spicy cloves;
2 pcs. star anise;
0.5 tsp. ground ginger (1/3 root);
1⁄4 part tsp. ground cinnamon;
1 pinch of nutmeg;
1 lemon.

How to make non-alcoholic mulled wine at home

Some spices can be taken in reduced portions, depending on preferences. To make homemade non-alcoholic mulled wine, you need:

Mix spices in a separate container.
Divide the lemon into 6-8 pieces and remove the seeds.
Heat grape juice to 70°C, add seasonings and lemon. Set aside - do not let it boil.
Cover with a lid and let sit for half an hour.

Serve warm.

Non-alcoholic apple mulled wine

If you want to try a drink with a mild citrus taste or treat your children, you can prepare this particular option:

1 liter of apple juice;
100 ml water;
2 tbsp. l. grated orange zest;
2 tbsp. l. chopped lemon zest;
2 tbsp. l. raisins;
2 cinnamon sticks;
0.5 apples;
4 things. allspice;
3 buds of cloves;
1 pinch of ginger;
1 pinch of nutmeg;
Sugar (to taste).

Procedure:

Mix juice and water in a saucepan, turn on low heat.
Cut the apple into 6 pieces.
Add spices and chopped apple to the heated liquid.
If signs of boiling appear, quickly remove from heat.
Cover with a lid for 20 minutes.
Strain the drink before serving.

This type is suitable for those who like a sour taste in drinks and has antipyretic properties:

1 liter cherry juice;
200 ml orange juice;
2 cinnamon sticks;
1 pinch of ginger;
2 pods of cloves.

Preparation does not take much time:

Place all ingredients in a container.
Turn on medium heat, stirring until it boils and quickly set aside.
Cover with a lid and let cool slightly.

The drink is warming, relaxing and healthy. And homemade mulled wine, prepared with your own hands, has the energy of coziness and comfort.

Fragrant mulled wine with notes of cinnamon and citrus is a favorite drink not only of Europeans, but also of Americans. It is almost always prepared in winter, because the drink perfectly warms and tones. Today we’ll talk about how to prepare this fiery alcoholic drink from red and white wine, as well as a non-alcoholic one from juice and fruit.

Classic mulled wine is a mixture of red wine and aromatic seasonings that are added to heated liquid. It is simply irreplaceable during cold winters, which is why mulled wine is often offered to tourists visiting ski resorts.

You can prepare such a drink from any available ingredients, but most often the following spices and fruits are added to it:

Cinnamon sticks. In the CIS countries I use crushed cinnamon powder.
Carnation flowers.
Citrus fruits, mainly oranges and lemons. They take on the sweetness of the wine.
A few pinches of nutmeg.
Sugar or honey if dry red wine is used in the preparation.
Water, if you want a not too strong mulled wine.
Cardamom, vanilla.
Ginger, apples.

After preparation, the drink is drunk hot. If the mulled wine contains a lot of seasonings, then the liquid should be strained. In some cases, dry cinnamon is added directly to the glass, and pieces of citrus fruit are also thrown in.

What to serve the drink with?

Serving mulled wine involves adding a cheese plate and citrus fruits.
If your mulled wine is based on white wine, then it can be complemented with baked fish, spicy chicken or several types of cheeses. If the drink is based on red wine, then it is served with cold cuts, baked meat or chocolate.

Important! You can also complement the drink with cheese crackers, grilled vegetables, and Bavarian sausages.

What are the benefits of this drink?

Alcoholic drinks are certainly not very healthy. But mulled wine is a special case. The fact is that the traditional recipe for this drink uses natural red wine, which is not boiled during the preparation process. Light heat treatment helps preserve all the beneficial properties of the wine, so mulled wine is effective in combating the following diseases:

Colds, throat diseases.
Hypothermia.
Low hemoglobin (anemia).
Has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, improving digestion.
Invigorates and tones the body.
Helps overcome insomnia and psychological exhaustion.

Mulled wine is considered one of the best drinks for a romantic winter evening. Already want to learn how to cook it? Then let's move on to the recipes!

Classic winter drink recipe

To prepare this aromatic tonic drink, prepare the following set of ingredients:

A liter of red wine, it is better to choose dry.
50-100 ml of water.
15 g sugar.
5-6 pcs. carnation flowers.
A pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon.

First, prepare a spice infusion. Add cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon to boiling water. Boil this infusion for 2 minutes, then let it sit for 10 minutes. While infusing, take care of the wine: add sugar, heat well, but do not bring to a boil. Add infusion with water and spices to hot wine, stir. Mulled wine is ready.

Recipe with honey and aromatic seasonings

This mulled wine is quite hot, but it perfectly tones and warms. This recipe is often used in expensive restaurants. To make this drink prepare:

1 liter of dry red wine. If you take sweet or semi-sweet, it will turn out very cloying.
4-5 tbsp. l. honey If you want a less sweet drink, add 2-3 spoons.
7 pcs. clove buds, 4 allspice and the same amount of star anise.

Place honey in a deep saucepan, pour wine over it, stir. Then add spices, heat, but do not boil.

Important! After preparation, such a drink can be garnished with lemon slices, poured into a special glass, and served hot.

How to prepare a drink if you only have white wine?

Classic mulled wine is made from red wine, but if this is not available and guests are already on the doorstep, take out 1 liter of white wine.

Important! Take dry white wine, otherwise the drink will turn out very sweet. If there is only sweet or semi-sweet wine in the house, then put more lemon in it.

So, we need the ingredients:

A liter of white wine.
half an orange or lemon (grind with zest).
1-2 tbsp. l. honey If you use sweet wine, skip the honey.
Flavorful seasonings to taste. It is better to use classic cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, heat, then let the mixture brew for 15 minutes, strain. Use only warm!

Custom recipe with frozen fruit

Do you have half a kilogram of raspberries lying around in the freezer? Take it out and hurry up to prepare excellent mulled wine, following these instructions:

We need 1 liter of dry white wine.
About 400-500 g of frozen raspberries, if it’s in season, you can take fresh ones.
Vanilla or cinnamon stick.
2-3 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Pour wine into a saucepan, add raspberries, sugar and vanilla there, stir and heat. After heating, the drink is filtered and then poured into ceramic or glass cups.

Important! It's worth cutting the vanilla pod if you want it to impart its full aroma to the drink.

Alcoholic mulled wine with egg yolks

To prepare it we will need:

A liter of white or red wine.
3-4 pcs. cloves, a pinch of cinnamon.
1 glass of water.
2-3 egg yolks.

Add cloves and water to the wine, then heat the mixture over low heat. While the wine is heating, beat the yolks with sugar, and then slowly add them into the wine, stirring constantly. This drink is most often served with a croissant or biscuit.

Important! Stir the drink constantly when adding the yolk. Otherwise, there will be lumps of boiled egg yolk in it.

Non-standard mulled wine for people who love chocolate

Dry red wine and chocolate go well together, so why don't we combine them in one recipe? For such a drink, take the following set of ingredients:

300 ml water.
2 tbsp. l. cocoa.
A liter of dry red wine.
3-4 tbsp. l. Sahara.
Seasonings to taste, cinnamon and nutmeg are most suitable.
Zest of 1 lemon or orange.
About 50-70 g of dark chocolate.

Pour cocoa, sugar into a saucepan, add water, add spices and zest, bring the mixture to a boil. After boiling, cool the mixture for 5 minutes, then add wine to it and heat the future mulled wine. After this, strain the drink and pour it into tall glasses.

Important! If you want to get a thick aroma, then use 1 cinnamon stick or 1-2 pinches of ground spice.

How to make non-alcoholic mulled wine?

If you can’t drink alcohol or drive tomorrow, but really want mulled wine, then we present to your attention a recipe for a non-alcoholic drink:

1 liter of good apple juice.
2-3 tablespoons of fresh orange or lemon zest.
Chopped pulp of 1 orange.
2 buds of cloves and the same number of cinnamon sticks.
A pinch of nutmeg.
100-150 ml of clean water.

To create such a drink, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and top with water and juice. Bring to a temperature of approximately 70 degrees, avoid boiling. After heating, let the liquid sit for 15-20 minutes, then strain it. If the drink has cooled down, reheat it. Garnish the glasses with citrus slices.

Another great recipe that doesn't contain alcohol.

You get simply excellent mulled wine if you make it from hibiscus. To prepare such a tasty and unusual drink, follow the instructions:

Pre-brew 1 liter of hibiscus tea.
Finely chop the orange, do not remove the peel.
Now add 2-3 tbsp to the saucepan. l. any honey, chopped orange, 2 buds of cloves and cinnamon, pour in pre-brewed tea.
Heat, let sit for 5-10 minutes, then strain.

This drink is not only very tasty, but also very healthy. It can be used safely by both children and pregnant women.

Important! Mulled wine gets most of its “warming effect” from seasonings, and not from red wine.

You can make a drink from either fruit juice or wine. The latter option will be tastier and healthier for an impending cold. When preparing the drink, do not skimp on aromatic seasonings, because they give mulled wine a very subtle and original taste.

Video recipes for mulled wine

Depositphotos/maxsol

Definition

And yet, what is mulled wine?

According to the definition given on Wikipedia, mulled wine is a hot alcoholic drink based on dry or semi-dry red wine, heated to 70-80 degrees, with the addition of sugar, spices, lemon zest, fruits, and sometimes even nuts. It is most popular in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland during the Christmas holidays.

origin of name

The word mulled wine comes from the German name “Gluhwein” (“gluhwein”). “Gluhwein”, in turn, was formed from the phrase “gluhender Wein”, which translated from German sounds like “hot wine”. According to some sources, the word mulled wine comes from the Polish “glintwajn”. Mulled wine in English sounds like “glintwine” (translated as “flaming wine”).

The history of mulled wine

The history of the mulled wine drink dates back to the era of Ancient Rome, when spices began to be added to cold wine to enhance the taste and give it a spicy aroma. This ancient Roman drink has little in common with modern mulled wine. However, its history began precisely from this period.

The mulled wine as we know it now appeared in Northern Europe and Scandinavia in the 16th century as a warming drink during the cold winter season. Then Bordeaux and other red wines were used as a basis. The wine was heated to 70 degrees and the only herb available at that time, galangal, was added to it, replacing all other spices. Later (in the 18th-19th centuries), honey, cinnamon, cardamom and a number of other spices began to be added to the drink. It is worth noting that in the Middle Ages, only rich and noble people could afford mulled wine, since spices at that time were worth their weight in gold.

Despite the fact that mulled wine began to be prepared almost simultaneously in many European countries, Germany is considered to be its historical homeland. This is due to the fact that the first official mention of this wonderful drink was found in the archives of this particular country.

The first recipe for Christmas mulled wine was documented in 1840. It has a very simple composition:

750 ml dry red wine;
6-7 carnation umbrellas;
3 tablespoons sugar;
3 cinnamon sticks;
1 lemon;
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Wine with sugar, spices and sliced lemon was heated to a temperature of 70 degrees, infused for 15 minutes, filtered and poured into glasses.

Methods for preparing mulled wine

What is put into mulled wine during its preparation? Perhaps the most important ingredient of mulled wine is weak red wine (dry or semi-dry). Sometimes liqueur, rum, cognac or port are added to give the drink greater strength. Contrary to all traditions, it is sometimes prepared from white wine, as well as from verbless ingredients: tea, juice, fruit drink and even liquid honey. However, according to the traditional German recipe, the alcohol content in mulled wine must be at least 7 degrees.

Table of ingredients used to prepare mulled wine:

There are a great many recipes for making mulled wine. They vary greatly depending on the geographical location and taste preferences of the person preparing it. The ingredients listed in the table above are the most commonly used in the preparation of this wonderful Christmas drink. However, this does not mean that you necessarily need to use them all at once. We advise you to choose from the list of possible ingredients those that suit your taste, and then the resulting drink will definitely be tasty and aromatic.

Depending on the spices and additions used to prepare mulled wine, it is divided into the following types: ginger, coffee, medicinal, fruit, pepper, orange, spicy, etc.

In addition to the base, spices and additives, you will also need to choose one of 2 main cooking methods:

With water

We put water to boil at the rate of 150-200 ml per 1 liter of wine.
Add spices to boiling water and boil them until the water acquires a spicy, aromatic taste.
Add sugar or honey.
Lastly, add the wine.
Heat the drink to 70-78 degrees (without boiling!).
After the white foam disappears from the surface of the wine, remove the container from the heat and let the drink brew under the lid (about 20 minutes).
Strain the drink through a sieve and pour into glasses.

No added water

Place the desired amount of wine on medium heat.
Immediately add sugar or honey, spices and all additional ingredients (fruits, nuts, etc.).
Heat the drink to 70-78 degrees, stirring occasionally. Wine should not be brought to a boil!
Then let the drink brew under the lid for 40-50 minutes.
Strain the drink and pour into glasses.

Each of these cooking methods is good in its own way. However, it is worth considering that mulled wine without adding water will have a richer alcoholic taste. And in a recipe with the addition of water, the taste and aroma of spices will be more noticeable, since they are not just infused at a temperature of 70-80 degrees, but boiled at 100 degrees.

During the cooking process, it is better to use non-ground spices. Otherwise, when straining the drink, you will not be able to filter it completely, it will be cloudy, and the spice particles will grate on your teeth.
Do not bring mulled wine to a boil. Otherwise, it will lose most of its alcohol content and its wonderful taste.
The better the quality of the wine, the tastier the drink. Choose dry or semi-dry wines for cooking.
Try to use enamel dishes for cooking.
After removing the mulled wine from the heat, let it brew thoroughly. The more it is infused in a container with a closed lid, the better, since the taste of the spices is revealed gradually.
To give young wines a “noble” hue, you can add a little cognac or liqueur to the mulled wine. This can also be done if you want to increase the strength of the drink.
Cloves and cinnamon are spices that must be included in mulled wine. They give this drink its characteristic aroma and taste. Other spices are added as desired.

Mulled wine: how to drink it and what to eat with it?

Serving

Prepared mulled wine is usually served in a special mulled wine glass, also known as an Irish glass. It is a tulip-shaped glass made of thick transparent glass with a capacity of 250-350 ml with a short stem, handle and “skirt”. It can also be poured into “bellied” mugs or tall glasses made of heat-resistant glass with handles.

Traditionally, the drink is decorated with a cinnamon stick, which can even be used as a straw, an anise star, as well as an orange slice lightly sprinkled with cinnamon or a lemon ring. In some cases, the rim of the glass is decorated with sugar crystals.

Another popular non-standard serving option is to serve the drink in apple halves. To do this, apples are cut in half, the pulp is cut out, and mulled wine is poured into the resulting “cup.”

Snacks

Traditional snacks for mulled wine in Germany are meat sausages and grilled pork ribs. This unusual combination of grilled meat with a spicy, warming drink can be tried at one of the many German fairs. Various cheeses and canapés also go well with mulled wine.

Among sweet snacks, gingerbread cookies and gingerbreads, dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruits, strudel, apple charlotte, as well as chocolates and cakes are often served with it.

You need to drink mulled wine in small sips while it is still hot, enjoying its aroma and unforgettable taste.

Classic mulled wine recipe

Of course, it is better to choose your favorite mulled wine recipe individually, experimenting and relying on your own taste preferences. However, there are recipes that have stood the test of time and become popular all over the world. These include a recipe for classic or traditional mulled wine.

Ingredients:

750 ml (bottle) dry red wine;
6-7 clove buds;
1 tbsp. spoon of sugar;
½ glass of water;
half an orange;
4-5 peas of allspice;
1 cinnamon stick;
nutmeg to taste.

Step-by-step preparation:

Pour ½ cup of water into a saucepan and put on fire;
cut half the orange along with the zest into slices;
pour cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and orange slices into a saucepan;
bring to a boil and cook for another 1 minute;
Cover the broth with a lid and leave to infuse for 15 minutes;
pour 750 ml of wine into an enamel pan and put on fire;
Pour the contents of the Turka into warm wine and add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar;
heat the wine to 70-80 degrees (do not bring to a boil!);
remove the mulled wine from the heat, cover with a lid, let it brew for 15 minutes;
strain the drink and pour into mugs, garnish with an orange slice, a cinnamon stick and an anise star.

The calorie content of this mulled wine is 136 kcal per 100 ml. These indicators indicate that this drink has a fairly high energy value. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, you should not abuse it.