Mulled and hot drinks
Warm drinks for cold nights, from a single hot toddy to a pan of mulled wine for a crowd.
One rule covers them all: never let anything with alcohol in it boil. Keep it steaming, not bubbling.
11 recipes
How to make mulled wine without it tasting harsh
Use a soft, fruity red wine and warm it gently for 10 to 15 minutes with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and orange. It should steam, but you should never see a bubble. Boiling drives off the alcohol and makes the spices bitter.
Add the brandy at the end, off the heat. The mulled wine serves six, and the white mulled wine uses the same method with a dry white and a little ginger.
Taste before serving, and add a little sugar if it seems sharp. The wine does not need to be expensive, but a soft, fruity bottle works better than a tannic one.
Mulled cider and other batch options
Mulled cider uses dry cider with a little cloudy apple juice for body. Keep it just below a simmer for about 15 minutes. Sweet cider plus sugar can turn sickly, so choose dry or medium.
Mulled gin is made with apple juice and gin, and serves eight. Pans like these keep warm on the lowest heat, so you can serve a crowd without standing over them.
Strain out the spices if the drink will sit for a long time, or they can make it bitter. Taste it again before you serve a second round.
Single hot cocktails
The hot toddy is whisky, honey, lemon and hot water, ready in five minutes. Let just-boiled water stand for a minute first, because water straight off the boil flattens the whisky.
The Irish coffee is Irish whiskey, hot coffee and sugar, topped with lightly whipped cream poured over a spoon. The sugar helps the cream float, so do not stir it in.
Both drinks are best made one at a time and served hot, so they are better for a small group than a large one. A warmed glass keeps the drink hot for longer, so rinse it with hot water first and tip it away.
Hot drinks without alcohol
Most mulled recipes work well without alcohol. The alcohol-free mulled apple and hot spiced cranberry use the same spices and slow warming.
For a soothing cup, try the hot lemon, honey and ginger. It is a good choice for drivers and anyone who is not drinking.
Questions people ask
Can you boil mulled wine?
No, you should not boil mulled wine. Boiling drives off the alcohol and makes the spices taste bitter. Warm it for 10 to 15 minutes until it steams but does not bubble. Stir in any brandy at the end, off the heat.
What is the best wine for mulled wine?
A soft, fruity red such as Merlot or Garnacha works best. Avoid very tannic wines, which turn harsh when heated. You do not need an expensive bottle, but the cheapest ones can taste thin. Something under about £8 is usually plenty.
How do you make a hot toddy?
Stir 15 ml honey into a little hot water in a warmed mug, add 50 ml whisky and 10 ml lemon juice, then top up with 100 ml hot water. Use water that has stood for a minute after boiling. Add a cinnamon stick or cloves if you like.
What is in an Irish coffee?
An Irish coffee is Irish whiskey, hot strong coffee, brown sugar and lightly whipped cream. The recipe here uses 40 ml whiskey, 120 ml coffee and 2 teaspoons of sugar. The cream is poured over the back of a spoon so it floats and is not stirred in.
How do you keep mulled wine warm for a party?
Keep it in the pan on the lowest heat, or in a slow cooker on the warm setting, so it steams without bubbling. Ladle it into heatproof glasses and leave the spices behind. Check it now and then, because it can overheat if left unattended.
What can I serve instead of mulled wine if guests do not drink?
Alcohol-free mulled apple is the closest swap. It uses cloudy apple juice with orange, cinnamon, cloves and star anise, plus a little maple syrup. Hot spiced cranberry is a tarter option. Both are made in one pan and kept warm in the same way.