Recipe: The Perfect Traditional Mulled Wine Using Only 7 Ingredients

There’s Punch, there’s Sangria, there’s Hot toddy, there’s the good ol’ Wine and then there’s Mulled wine which is also known as glühwein, vino caliente, glögg, vin brulé, bisschopswijn, vin chaud, candola, vinho quente…or many other names depending on which part of the world you are from. These drinks make a list of wine-based drinks mainly enjoyed while hosting a small party at home or…

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The post Recipe: The Perfect Traditional Mulled Wine Using Only 7 Ingredients appeared first on Capital Lifestyle.

There’s Punch, there’s Sangria, there’s Hot toddy, there’s the good ol’ Wine and then there’s Mulled wine which is also known as glühwein, vino caliente, glögg, vin brulé, bisschopswijn, vin chaud, candola, vinho quente…or many other names depending on which part of the world you are from. These drinks make a list of wine-based drinks mainly enjoyed while hosting a small party at home or for your own consumption while cozying up by the fire on a cold evening.

We are five-ish months away from Christmas but we are still experiencing wintry kind of weather in Nairobi and here’s where Mulled wine comes in.

Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is a beverage usually made with red wine along with various mulling spices. It is served hot or warm and is alcoholic, although there are non-alcoholic versions of it. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas.

MULLED WINE INGREDIENTS:
For mulled wine, you will need:

• Wine: A cheap bottle (or box) of dry, red wine will do. No need to splurge on a pricey bottle -any basic bottle of dry red or white wine will do.
• Fresh oranges: To be sliced and mulled with the wine and also to be used as garnish. (To minimize bitterness, feel free to peel the orange before simmering it in the wine).
• Cinnamon sticks or if you like you can whisk in some ground cinnamon.
• Mulling spices: These vary from country to country, but will mostly include whole cloves and star anise and a few cardamom pods.
• Sweetener: Sugar, honey or Maple syrup will do.

HOW TO MAKE MULLED WINE:

To make mulled wine…

1. Combine the ingredients above in a saucepan and give them a quick stir.
2. Let this heat up until the wine just barely reaches a simmer over medium-high heat. (Do not let it bubble in any way as this will boil off the alcohol.) Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.
3. Using a fine mesh strainer, remove and discard the orange slices, cloves, cinnamon sticks and star anise. Taste the mulled wine and stir in your desired amount of extra sweetener if needed.
4. Serve warm in heatproof mugs, topped with your favorite garnishes.

You can store the remaining mulled wine for another day. Refrigerated and sealed in an airtight container, an opened bottle of mulled wine will stay fresh for 3-5 days. Make sure to allow mulled wine to cool completely before storing. If storing a bottled product that you’ve warmed on the stove, return to the bottle via a funnel and refrigerate for up to three days.

The post Recipe: The Perfect Traditional Mulled Wine Using Only 7 Ingredients appeared first on Capital Lifestyle.