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    Home » Drinks

    Easy Mulled Wine

    Published: Dec 22, 2022 by dirndlkitchen · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    This easy mulled wine recipe is the coziest and most delicious drink to help you warm up. I grew up with it at the German Christmas Markets, where it’s called Glühwein (glow wine). I have come up with an easy, yet traditional way to make it at home and it pairs perfectly with my homemade German gingerbread cookies. All it takes is some wine, citrus, and spices.

    pot of steaming mulled wine

    How to make the best mulled wine

    The best mulled wine in my opinion is easy to make and still tastes delicious. You don't need any exotic spices or other ingredients for this warming winter drink.

    All you need is some decent wine, a few spices, lemon and orange, a little sugar or honey and that's it.

    There are a few tips to help you succeed that I will share next.

    In Germany, where I am from, and where 40 million liters of mulled wine (called Glühwein there) are consumed every year, we also drink a white version.

    cup of mulled wine with a gingerbread cookie

    Making mulled wine at home brings back the best, warming memories from the Christmas Markets in Germany. And I love it so much! Other Christmas Market Favorite recipes are Dampfnudeln, Roasted Chestnuts and Potato Pancakes.

    Another benefit of making mulled wine at home is that you can better control the sweetness level. I just add a little bit of sugar (or honey), but feel free to add more or less.

    Which wine

    For making classic, red mulled wine, I like using lighter, lower tannin wines like Pinot Noir or Merlot. For making a white mulled wine, I like using a dry Riesling.

    I would like to point out that because you're adding spices, citrus and sugar (and the optional shot of rum or cognac), you probably don't want to use your best bottles of wine for making mulled wine. But you don't want to use 'bad' wine, either.

    In Germany, mulled wine or Glühwein is also made using cherry or even blueberry wines. If using a different fruit wine, play around with how much sugar you want to add as sometimes those tend to be sweeter wines.

    serving up different versions of German-style mulled wine

    Steep it like tea

    Steeping the wine with spices and citrus for just 10 minutes helps to keep out the bitter aromas.

    Similar to tea, I bring my wine to a quick boil, then turn off the heat. I then add spices like cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, sugar, sliced lemon and orange peel, and let it steep.

    steeping mulled wine

    After the steeping time is up, I remove any add-ins and serve right away. You can at that point choose to return it to low heat to keep it warm (you just don't want it boiling anymore). If you're feeling really fun, add a 'Schuss' (shot) of rum or cognac like Germans like to do.

    Video

    Need just a few seconds of visual instructions, then watch this short video showing you how easy it is to make mulled wine at home.

    Ingredients

    There are just a handful of ingredients needed to make mulled wine at home, but selecting them wisely is important.

    ingredients for mulled wine
    • Wine. We love using Pinot Noir or Merlot for red or a dry Riesling for white. Don't use your best wine, but don't use bad wine, either.
    • Sugar. I add just a couple of tablespoons full per bottle of wine. You could also use honey instead.
    • Lemon. Using organic lemon is recommended here since you're steeping it with the peel on.
    • Orange Peel. I also use organic orange since you're steeping the peel only.
    • Spices. I like to keep my spices simple and I use whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom (whole cardamom spice is less common to find, so feel free to add a pinch per bottle of ground cardamom instead).
    • Optional shot. Many Germans like to drink their Glühwein 'mit Schuss' (with a shot). Commonly used added liquor is either rum or cognac.
    pot of steaming mulled wine

    Easy Mulled Wine

    This easy mulled wine recipe is the coziest and most delicious drink to help you warm up. I grew up with it at the German Christmas Markets, where it’s called Glühwein (glow wine). I have come up with an easy, yet traditional way to make it at home. All it takes is some wine, citrus, and spices.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Steeping Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Drinks, Entertaining, Holiday Meal
    Cuisine German
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 210 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Skimmer for removing the fruit and spices after steeping
    • 1 small pot with lid

    Ingredients
     
     

    Mulled Wine

    • 1 bottle wine 750 ml or 3 cups. For red I use a low tannin wine like Pinot Noir or Merlot. If making a white version (like it's also common to drink in Germany), use a dry Riesling. Don't use the best wine.
    • 1 lemon organic, cut into slices
    • ½ orange organic, peel only
    • 3 Tablespoons sugar
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 3 cloves
    • 1 cardamom pod or one pinch of ground cardamom

    Optional Add-In

    • rum or cognac to add an optional shot right before serving

    Instructions
     

    • Pour wine into a small pot and add the sliced lemon. Cover with a lid and heat over medium heat until just starting to boil. Turn off the heat.
      1 bottle wine, 1 lemon
    • Stir in spices, sugar and orange peel, and steep with the lid on for 10 minutes.
      ½ orange, 3 Tablespoons sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 1 cardamom pod
    • Remove the fruit and spices and serve with an optional shot of rum or cognac. If wanting to keep warm, return to low heat.
      rum or cognac

    Video

    Notes

    Steeping the wine with spices and citrus for just 10 minutes helps to keep out the bitter aromas.
    For the optional add-in shot, I recommend using either rum or cognac. You could also play with adding whiskey or other liquors, deepening on your preference.
    Make blueberry or cherry mulled wine. Add some juice to your wine and skip adding the sugar for a fun twist (blueberry and cherry Glühwein are popular at the Nuremberg Christmas market, too). You could also try using blueberry or cherry wine if you can find it near you. And since those wines tend to be sweeter, you may not need to add any or less sugar.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 11mgPotassium: 264mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 46IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Hallo, I'm Sophie!

    I am so happy that you are here at my German food and recipe blog named dirndl kitchen! Let's cook and bake authentic German recipes to help us feel closer to Germany!

    I moved from Germany to the United States in 2009 and soon started to terribly miss the German food (okay, my family, too)! I still miss a nice weekend brunch with crusty Brötchen (rolls) and Teilchen (pastries), Döner Kebab and German cake and coffee time at 15 o'clock! So I decided to educate my fellow Germany-missing friends by writing about German food and traditions. I do so in a fun way with easy-to-follow recipes! I hope you stay a while and bookmark some recipes, so we can cook and bake together.

    Mit viel Liebe (with much love)

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