December is here and with it comes the time for traditional German mulled wine. Many like to enjoy it in an authentic atmosphere at the Christmas markets. Unfortunately, markets cannot be taken for granted in these times.
But if you’re in the mood for mulled wine, you’ll love this recipe. You can prepare the best mulled wine in the comfort of your own home.
In my opinion, it tastes a lot better than at Christmas markets. And the recipe for mulled wine is also quick and easy. All you need is wine, fruit, a few spices, and about 15 minutes of your time.
How to make traditional German mulled wine?
When I have to choose a wine in summer, I mostly choose some kind of white wine. With mulled wine, the opposite is the case. Red goes really well. If you like white mulled wine, you can use white.
The choice of wine is also important. You definitely don’t have to go for luxury and expensive wine. It would probably be a shame to use Château Petrus. However, avoid cheap and poor-quality wine as well. A relatively cheap wine may be enough for a goulash, for example.
You can also buy pretty good wine for roughly 10 dollars. I recommend using red dry or semi-dry with a fruity character. Be sure to have a taste before adding it to the pot.
But watch out! You might like it so much that you drink the whole bottle before you start cooking. Or maybe it’s just me…
It is very important to prepare a base for mulled wine first. Do not add the red wine until you have boiled the fruit peel and juice along with the sugar and spices. Of course, you don’t want alcohol to evaporate. Hence, you want to more or less just heat it up and mix it with all the ingredients.
As a result, your mulled wine will acquire all the excellent aromas and maintain its alcohol content (which we all want, right?).
What spices for mulled wine?
You will need cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and nutmeg. Cinnamon sticks, of course. Break it in half which will deepen its flavor in the wine. Nutmeg should also be used fresh. Grate about a quarter. Someone even likes to add cardamon pods.
The cloves give the mulled wine a typical and traditional touch. You certainly cannot leave it out.
Cook these spices together with sugar and orange and lemon peel for about 5 minutes. Use fruit juice as well. Since peel is added, it’s not bad to use organic oranges and lemons. Remember to wash them beforehand.
After adding the wine, let it bring to the hot temperature until it almost begins to boil. At this moment, turn off the stove and let it rest for another 5 minutes.
Pass through a sieve and serve hot, ideally with a delicious dessert. For example, I recommend pumpkin muffins.
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German Mulled Wine
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
What could be nicer than a cup of hot mulled wine in cold weather? This classic German mulled wine on December evening is all you need!
Ingredients
- 1.5 l of red wine
- 2 oranges
- 1 lemon
- 100 g of sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 cloves
- 2 star anise
- 1/4 nutmeg (fresh)
Instructions
- First, prepare the ingredients. Wash your oranges and lemon and peel them (do not discard the peel).
- Place sugar into the pot, add the fruit peel and turn on the stove. Squeeze out the lemon and orange juice.
- Bring to a boil and add the cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks (split in half), and freshly grated nutmeg.
- Let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to create a delicious base or syrup for mulled wine.
- Pour the red wine into the pot. Stir and bring to a hot temperature until almost boiling. At this moment turn off the stove and let it rest for a moment to let the wine “soak up” all the wonderful aromas.
- Strain through a sieve, pour into a cup and enjoy the best mulled wine in the comfort of your home!
Notes
Use relatively good quality wine for mulled wine.
Since we add fruit peels, it is suitable to use organic fruit.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Amount for a cup:
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 16.2g
- Sodium: 9mg
- Fat: 0.3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 21.4g
- Fiber: 1.8g
- Protein: 0.6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
4 Responses
I love mulled wine! It is the best thing in winter indeed.
Thank you so much!
Mulled wine is such a cozy winter favorite. Thanks for the easy recipe!
It is indeed. My pleasure!