Welcome the winter season with a perfect hot glass of gently spiced, zesty, mulled wine! The recipe, like many that I try to make, is easy to modify and tailor to individual preference. Based on the authentic Gluhwein drink, originating from Germany, this is THE perfect drink for the Christmas season (or in my opinion, any season, but especially the cold ones).
How it Began (The Recipe, not the Origin!)
So, the story of this recipe starts with the fact that Ty and I bottled a big batch of our own wine via a local supplier and though we’ve done this before and loved the experience from a different winery owner, this one turned out horrible. The flavor of the wine was totally fine, but all the bottles developed a sediment which I couldn’t justify drinking, let alone serving to guests. So, seeing how we have 30+ something (you read that right!) bottles of wine, I NEEDED to find a good use for them. I wasn’t about to be sieving wine for guests, but I certainly could for a big pot of mulled wine!
While your girl here loves to cook with wine, there is no way on this holy earth that I will use 30 bottles in a season. But I am reserving a few of them for cooking, marinades, and maybe if I’m feeling extra classy sifting it through a sieve and into a wineglass!
For the majority of the bottles, however, I decided to use them in the below recipe. The recipe is a very slight modification to my dad’s actually, and both him and my mom learned it while they were visiting Germany back in the 80s. I’ve never been, but my husband and I are dying to visit one day and have the same gorgeous fairy-tale Christmas experience.
Enjoy this delicious and perfectly splendid, festive mulled wine this holiday! If you happen to make it please leave a comment or tag on social media – I’d love to see what you guys come up with!
Traditional (Gluhwein) Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 2 bottles red wine (dry is preferred)
- 1 orange
- 1 lime
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp cloves
- ½ tsp cardamom seeds
- 3 sticks cinnamon
- 4 flowers anise
- ½ cup cranberries (optional)
- ½ cup orange juice (optional)
Instructions
- Slice orange in half, and then into halved slices. Slice lime into whole wedges.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot (can be placed in a crockpot too – see notes below).
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer at least 30 minutes on med-low.
- Keep the heat on low to use throughout the day if desired.
Notes
- It’s super easy to adapt this recipe to the crockpot. I have done this several times now, just by setting cook on high for 2 hours, and then just keep on warm.
- Orange juice is optional, but adds extra sweetness.
- Brown sugar can be substituted with honey.
