If you’ve never tried a hot spiced wine, then you’re missing out! This easy mulled wine recipe is perfect for cold weather and staying cozy…
Hands down one of our favorite things about winter is that every day is a perfect excuse for a warm drink.
We love hot chocolate as much as the next gal. But sipping on a spiced cocktail just can’t be beaten!
This mulled wine recipe is super easy to make.
And you can personalize it to be as spicy or as sweet as you’d like based on your preference of mulled wine spices.
We know there are a ton of renditions of the staple spiced wine.
Ours not only has Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon (one of our favorite red wines for sharing)! But it also has added brandy for some additional flavor and a little extra pizzazz!
It goes without saying, but this seasonal drink recipe is as beautiful as it is tasty.
Plus, it’s perfect for sharing with family and friends as a batch cocktail.
What Is Mulled Wine?
It’s name pretty much explains it all!
This drink is essentially wine (typically a red wine) that you let simmer over medium heat and stewed with a mix of spices.
There are many alternate names — spiced wine, hot wine, vin chaud, and pot spiced are the most popular.
It’s also commonly served at Christmas markets and parties or fall gatherings since it is a warm spirit that can be made in large pot batches.
What Wine is Best for Mulled Wine?
Merlot, Zinfandel, or Garnacha are the finest red grapes to use for mulled wine.
But for a real winner use a wine with a heavy dose of spice, such as a spiced port.
What Goes into Mulled Wine Recipe?
While the spices and flavors of mulled wine are the real showstoppers, they’re also great for garnishing for a pretty drink presentation.
The more mulling spices and garnishes you add will play a big factor in how sweet or spicy your wine will be.
For our mulled wine recipe, we used the following spices — cinnamon sticks, orange zest, star anise, and whole cloves.
You definitely need the cinnamon sticks and clove for the flavor and spice.
But additional add-ons or ingredient substitutes to use are —
— Cranberries
— Blackberries
— Orange slices
How to Serve Mulled Wine
Trust me when I say that this recipe is the perfect cold-weather party drink!
Though it only takes about 15-20 minutes to whip together, you’ll probably be insanely busy with other party prepping.
To serve mulled wine, you can combine all ingredients and let them brew in a slow cooker on a low setting.
Guests can serve themselves throughout the party by sitting out a ladle and mugs so the drinks are served warm.
Note that making a crockpot hot spiced wine will take about an hour to heat on low. But at least, you don’t have to check up on it once it’s ready!
For a quicker version, you can warm it on the stovetop for about 20 minutes and then reduce heat to low for serving.
Also feel free to make this recipe ahead of time and just re-heat to medium on the stove in a pot.
However, do not bring it to a boil. You don’t want to alter the wine flavoring.
What To Serve With Mulled Wine
When mulled, pour the red wine into mugs and add a ginger snap to each drink.
It’s decadent and delicious, but if you’re looking to add even more flavor consider serving your mulled wine with a fruit compote drizzled over vanilla ice cream along with assorted sweet pastries or a dessert board.
How Long Will Spiced Wine Keep?
Made way too big of a batch of mulled wine for your holiday party?
Don’t sweat it, you can store your spiced wine recipe in the fridge for up to three days.
When storing, make sure the wine is cooled to room temperature. Then, strain out the garnishes before transferring it to an airtight container.
Reheating will affect the alcohol content, so keep that in mind as well! Of course, you can always just add in more brandy!
Do you all have any go-to drink recipes that you always make for the holidays and winter months?
In case you’re looking for some other winter weather cocktail recipes or pairings for your mulled wine recipe, here are some of my favorites —
- An easy blood orange sangria recipe
- A refreshing white autumn sangria recipe
- The best easy turkey chili recipe
- Coffee old fashioned cocktail for a twist on the classic
- Healthy easy baked apple recipe
Mulled Wine Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot
- Slow cooker optional
Ingredients
Nutrition
Notes
- This recipe can be made in a slow cooker, but keep in mind that it will need to heat on low for at least an hour before serving.
Instructions
- Pour the red wine into a large pot with the freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Add your spices, ginger, brown sugar, 4 cinnamon sticks, and orange zest and stir to dissolve the brown sugar.
- Warm the combination over medium heat, but do not bring to a boil.
- Once evenly warmed and the sugar has dissolved, add the brandy and reduce to very low heat to serve warm or remove from heat to transfer to a punch bowl to serve at room temperature depending on your preference.
- Garnish with remaining cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and orange zest.
Don’t forget to share your mulled wine with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! And if you’re looking for more quick and delicious recipes you can find them all right here with a few bites to go along with them!
What would be the amounts if you just want to make a few “cups” instead ?
Hi Mil! There is actually a serving calculator in the recipe card. The recipe right is for about 12 servings. But you can hoover your mouse over the amount and change the servings. You’ll see the measurements move also so you can move the servings until you get the amount of cups that you want. Hope this helps!
Do you know if this keeps for like the next day – leftovers reheat??
Hi Heather! Yes, we actually have a section dedicated to how long this recipe will keep. You can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat it but heat will lose some of the alcohol content…. so you can just add more brandy! Hope this helps!
Love this recipe. Perfect for the holidays!
Looks so tasty and festive!
Carrie
http://www.wearwherewell.com
I’ve been looking for the right spiced wine recipe for the holidays, and I think this may be it! Looks amazing!