I’ll never forget my very first mulled wine experience…it was love at first sip.
I was at Chicago’s Christkindle Market at Daley Plaza enjoying the ambiance of the holiday markets when I decided to join the masses and order warm spiced wine in a mini, commemorative mug.
Just the smell of mulled wine gives me all the holiday, cozy vibes I so crave during this time of year. Notes of cloves and cinnamon swirling around in red wine. It’s truly a glorious thing.
As I sipped, I watched as pedestrians went from stall to stall searching for treats and creations from far away lands as Christmas markets are most commonly associated with Europe.
In 2018 we traveled to Budapest, Prague, and Austra in search of Christmas markets…let’s just say, they know what they’re doing out there. It’s like a blast to the past and I swear I saw a Charles Dickens look alike. Top hat and all.
All of the aforementioned moments and experiences shaped my love for spiced wine. It’s warming, full of flavor, and so damn easy to create.
When making mulled wine at home, it’s important to remember that you can tweak the measurements, add more of one spice, less of another, more or less honey, etc. to create your own version of this wintertime classic.
Below I am sharing the recipe I’ve been making for years. I am so excited to share this with everyone because I know how much it warms up my heart and adds to my holiday.
Mulled Spiced Wine
Equipment
- Cheesecloth
- Twine
- Pot
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry red wine Malbec and cabernet sauvignon are both good options.
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 8 whole cloves
- 3 star anise
- 6 whole all-spice
- 1 cup bourbon
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Heat a sauce pan on low heat. Roast all of your spices for just a few moments just enough for them to become aromatic. Do not burn them.
- Remove your spices and place all of them, excluding the cinnamon sticks, tied in cheesecloth using twine. Place to the side.
- Pour the entire bottle of wine into a pot. Turn the heat to low/medium.
- Add the bourbon, apple cider, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, honey, and little bag of spices to your pot of wine.
- Turn the heat to as low as it can go. You never want your mulled wine to come to a boil, more so a very mild simmer.
- Let simmer on low for 20 minutes up to one hour. Stir occasionally.
- Optional: garnish with cinnamon and/or orange zest or slice.
- Serve warm, stay cozy, and enjoy!
Notes
Don’t forget to tag @thesisterproj on Instagram when posting your mulled wine! I can’t wait to see what you create.
In fact, a little mulled wine and our podcast, Cozy Conversations with The Sister Project, sounds like the perfect way to settle into a winter evening.
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