When my wife and I recently visited Chicago, we stayed in Andersonville, a part of the city where Swedish immigrants historically lived. Because of the Swedish influence, a few bars served Glogg, a spiced, warm wine. Inspired by the deliciousness and motivated by the warmth, I decided to make my own mulled wine when we got back to Seattle. The spices evoke a sense of coziness while the citrus adds some brightening acidity. The combination makes each sip feel like you’re waking up, refreshed and energized, from an afternoon nap. Yes. Please.
Mulled wine exists all over the world. Depending on your location (or your fancy), mulled wine is also known as glühwein, vino caliente, glögg, vin brulé, bisschopswijn, vin chaud, or candola. There’s a reason that so many different cultures have created a similar drink — it’s delicious and perfect for those chilly winter nights when you want to warm up.
how do I make mulled wine?
This simple mulled wine recipe is all about getting a warm cup of wine in your hand, pronto. Simply slice some oranges, pour the bottle of wine in a saucepan, add your mulling spices, bring it just up to a simmer, and let it do its mulling magic for anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. When you’re ready to serve, pour your mulled wine through a strainer to get the citrus pulp out, top it off with some fresh spices for style points, and drink up.
is mulled wine alcoholic?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that heating wine will cause it to evaporate, and part of what evaporates is the alcohol. The amount of alcohol that remains depends on several variables, including cooking time and temperature as well as the type of pan you use (an open shallow pan will evaporate faster than a smaller container with a lid, as it has more surface area for evaporation). So mulled wine will contain alcohol but not as much alcohol as a glass of wine that hasn’t been heated.To compensate for the alcohol loss, some mulled wine recipes recommend adding a splash of another type of alcohol like brandy to boost the alcohol percentage.
what is the best wine for mulled wine?
Mulling wine removes the nuances of a wine’s natural flavor profile, so don’t pick a delicate, subtle wine such as Pinot Noir – you simply won’t be able to taste the underlying flavors. Instead, go for a wine with high alcohol, lots of fruit flavors, and relatively high tannins. Bigger, bolder red wine such as Syrah, Zinfandel, Grenache, Merlot, or Touriga Nacional are perfectly suited to withstand heat and can really compliment some of the spiced flavors (cloves, star anise, cinnamon). Some variations of mulled wine use white wine. If you prefer a white, go for something aromatic like a Riesling, Muscat (Moscato) or Chenin Blanc.
Mulled Wine
Best mulled wine recipe – perfect for warming your cold winter nights.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings
- Category: Vegan, Vegetarian, Drink, Wine
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American, Swedish, Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine (or an aromatic white)
- 1-2 oranges, sliced into rounds
- 12 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 2-4 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste
- 1/4 cup brandy, optional
- extra citrus slices (orange or lemon), extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise, optional garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and heat just barely to a simmer over medium-high heat. Do not boil the wine or else you will reduce the flavors and boil off the alcohol.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. You do not want the wine to be bubbling, you simply want to keep it warm.
- Strain, and serve warm with your desired garnishes.
Notes
*Recipe is a guide, adapt as desired.
Keywords: mulled wine, wine, spiced wine, glogg
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