Colder weather has officially arrived, folks. Winter winds snap at our faces and we swap sundresses for three layers of clothing. We’re not exactly complaining about the comfy sweaters, though we do wish there was a great winter beverage we could turn to. Wait a second. There is one! Mulled wine is the like the winter version of sangria and we’re here for it.
How To Make Warm Mulled Wine—The Coziest Winter Drink
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 750-milliliter bottles cabernet sauvignon
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 8-10 cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- orange peel for garnish
Supplies
- corkscrew
- slow cooker
- ladle
Directions
In your slow cooker, mix the wine, brandy, honey, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
Simmer on low for 45-60 minutes or until warm (do not boil as you may boil off the alcohol).
If you find your mulled wine to be too hot, reduce the heat to warm before serving.
Ladle into mugs and garnish with orange peels.
Additional Methods
What’s great about a mulled wine recipe is that you don’t really need a slow cooker. Instead, you can combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low to medium heat for ten to fifteen minutes.
A Touch Of Tang
You can garnish your mugs of mulled wine with orange peels or you can slice an orange or two into the slow cooker. Keep the orange peels in the slow cooker as well if you really want your drink to have a citrusy twist.
Oranges aren’t the only fruit that suits a mug of mulled wine. Add a handful or so of cranberries or slice up a lemon and place everything into the slow cooker. Even if you just want to garnish with peels, you can swap out your orange peels for lemon ones.
Sugar And Spice
Our mulled wine recipe already includes a few cinnamon sticks, but you can add one or two more for garnish. Add a bit of extra spice with some cardamom pods as well. Toss about three or four pods in with the rest of your ingredients for a pinch of spice and citrus.
Though we prefer granulated sugar, your recipe can just as easily switch in an equal amount of brown sugar.
Wine And Dine
We think cabernet sauvignon works best in a mulled wine recipe, though you can use whichever kind you like. Try and stick with a dry red wine like merlot or zinfandel.
Mulled wine helps keep us warm during these chilly winter months. Brew a few mugs for you and your friends, or hog it all for yourself! Leftover wine can be transferred into an airtight container and stored in the fridge for two or three days. Just don’t tell your friends about the amazing concoction you’ve got hiding in there…
