Have you ever visited the Christmas market in Europe? The smell of cinnamon and sugar is the aroma that hugs you almost instantly. Don’t let the cinnamon-sprinkled sweet rolls or the churros fool you. The smell filling up the air is something else. If festive cosiness has an aroma, it’s red wine simmering on the stove with citrus and spices. Yes! I am talking about Mulled Wine.
Mulled Wine, also known as Spiced Wine, is wine infused with various fruits and spices and served warm. This traditional European winter brew is a Christmas market staple worldwide. Believed to be created by Romans and Greeks the drink is an example of how sweet and spice flavours are balanced perfectly.
Origins of Mulled Wine
It originated in Europe, where people used to have it during winter. It was not a posh but a ‘feel-good’ drink. Rumour says it was a way for Greeks to avoid wasting their wine. The Romans picked it up and named it Conditum Paradoxum or ‘surprise wine’. Today it is known as Gløgg in Scandinavia, Glühwein in German-speaking areas, or Vin Chaud in french.
Why is it a winter drink?
The drink was a great way to keep your body warm during the harsh winters. The spices in the wine were believed to be medicinal and perfect for a cold day. The popularity enjoyed by this sweet, warm blend is because the Roman soldiers took their taste of home and introduced it to every region they conquered.
What’s in it for you: Ingredients
1. Wine
2. Short of Port
3. Clove-stuffed, segmented oranges
4. Cinnamon
5. Nutmeg
6. Brown sugar
These ingredients are some of the many you can use to prepare mulled wine; like any recipe, mulled wine preparation is not set in stone. You can choose a recipe closest to your palate.
Is this your taste?
Spiced wine can have fruity, tart, sweet, and smoky notes
How to choose your wine?
You can choose what range ($-$$$$) of wine you will choose. The chosen essentially needs to be dry and full-bodied. Some suggestions include Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, or Syrah. These will keep the spiced wine from being overly sweet.
Mulled wine two ways: Stovetop or Crockpot
Stovetop magic
Allow this recipe to simmer in a large saucepan on the stovetop until it is warm and all the flavours are well combined. Guests are welcome to help themselves.
The Crockpot Recipe
While one can easily make this recipe on the stove, I prefer to make it as a mulled wine crockpot recipe for parties. The slow cooker frees up the stovetop while keeping the spiced wine warm, and it’s easy for guests to refill.
Garnish for a festive look
We did promise you Christmas in a cup. Make your holiday cocktail special by garnishing it with an orange peel, fresh cranberries, lemon peels, and a cinnamon stick.
Put on a show while serving
Celebrate the drink and your effort in preparing it with spectacle and drama. So, carefully ladle this delicious drink into small fun glasses.
Store, Reheat and Freeze
Storage
Let your mulled wine cool completely.
Transfer it to an airtight container,
Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat
Warm leftover mulled wine in a large pot over low heat, or transfer to a slow cooker and reheat
on LOW until warm.
Freeze: Presto Sorbet!
Mulled wine can be refrigerated and then blended later to make sorbet.
1. Cook off all the alcohol (bring your mulled wine to a boil, and keep it on a rolling boil for around 5 to 6 minutes, so the mixture becomes syrupy and the alcohol burns off).
2. Let the wine cool down before carefully pouring the leftovers into an ice cube tray.
3. Freeze.
4. Extract the frozen cubes and pop them into a blender with whole-fat yogurt
5. serve your mulled wine sorbet.
Note: If you reheat leftover refrigerated mulled wine, remember that the flavours may not be as vibrant as when freshly made.
Do try this at home and let us know your thoughts at reviews@snackfax.com