There’s nothing like a warming mug of mulled wine to get people in the Christmas spirit. Piping hot, pungently spiced and thawingly alcoholic, it’s the perfect drink for the festive season. Whether drunk by the fireside on a chill winter’s evening, or shared among friends at a lively Christmas party, mulled wine is a hit wherever it is served. To add an extra Christmas kick, add a dash of an almond liqueur such as Amaretto, or something suitably fruity such as cherry brandy, to really get a Christmas party started. For kids, designated drivers and those who simply avoid alcohol, it’s possible to make a tasty booze-free version that will make sure nobody feels left out.
The popularity of mulled wine is growing year on year in the UK, to the extent that many retailers are selling their own ready-to-heat bottles, but making your own mulled wine is a cheaper option and an enjoyable experience in itself. Avoid the pre-bagged mulled wine spices that find their way onto supermarket shelves during the festive season and go down the real home-made route for a really authentic mulled red wine.
There’s no real secret knack to making mulled wine and a lot depends on personal taste. While some like to drink the festive brew very sweet, others prefer it with less sugar and more spice. If you’re making mulled wine for large numbers of people, it may be worth making two batches – one of which is sweeter than the other. Failing that, have a bowl of sugar on hand to allow guests to add an extra dose of sweetness should they feel so inclined. Making mulled wine isn’t an exact science – quantities of spices and fruit can also be varied according to taste. The only rule that really must not be broken is that the mulled wine should never be allowed to boil – not only will this impair the flavour of the drink, but it will also mean that much of the alcohol evaporates.
Start, of course, with your red wine. One of the great things about making mulled wine is that it is a very budget-friendly drink. As you’re going to be adding all kinds of flavours to the mix, it would make no sense at all to use an expensive wine – now is not the time to break open that vintage claret that has been sitting in the cellar for the last 20 years! That doesn’t mean to say that any old rubbish will do – a cheap and nasty red wine will result in a less than satisfying end product – but there’s no need to splash out. Any supermarket red wine in the four to five pound price bracket should be perfectly sufficient. Dry red wines such as Merlot or Zinfandel are always a good bet, but really it is hard to go wrong in your choice of red wine.
With their icy winters and their fondness for a drink or two, it’s perhaps no surprise that the red wine loving Germans are past masters at the art of making mulled wine, or Gluhwein as it is known in German. German cities are famous for their lively Christmas markets, where Gluhwein is drunk in abundance and the popularity of these markets is one of the reasons driving the rise in popularity of mulled wine across the UK and Europe.
To make a warming German Gluhwein, you will need (per bottle of red wine) 2-3 cinnamon sticks, 10-20 cloves, one orange, one lemon, three quarters of a cup of water and roughly three quarters of a cup of sugar (adjust to taste). Bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to the boil before reducing the heat and simmering. Halve the orange and lemon and squeeze their juices into the simmering mixture before adding the remains of the fruit to the mixture, along with the cloves. At this point, add the wine and remember not to boil! Once the wine is heated through, remove the orange and lemon peels and strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve and pour into mugs or warmed glasses – note that pouring the mulled wine into non-warmed glasses may cause them to break! If you wish, add a dash of brandy, cognac, Amaretto or other suitable liqueur before serving. Serve with warm mince pies or spiced biscuits for a wonderfully festive finish.
To make children’s mulled wine, simply replace the red wine with blackcurrant or mixed berry cordial – and, obviously, leave out the brandy!
