Mulled wine
Red wine warmed slowly with orange, spice and a splash of brandy. One pan, six glasses.
- Time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Heatproof glass
- Strength
- 2.4 UK units
How to make mulled wine
- Warm the sugar and spice. Put the sugar, spices, orange slices and a splash of the wine in a pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
- Add the wine. Pour in the rest of the wine and warm gently for 10 to 15 minutes. It should steam, but you should never see a bubble.
- Taste and adjust. Taste it. Add a little more sugar if it is sharp, or another strip of orange if it is flat.
- Add the brandy last. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the brandy just before serving, so it keeps its warmth and alcohol.
- Serve. Ladle into heatproof glasses, leaving the spices behind, and add a slice of orange to each.
- Glass
- Heatproof glassNo heatproof glass? Any mug or heatproof glass with a handle.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- Orange slice and a cinnamon stickOr: A strip of orange peel.
What you need to make mulled wine
Kit
Bottles we'd use
- A soft, fruity redMerlot, Garnacha or Montepulciano. Avoid heavily oaked or very tannic wines.Find it on Amazon
- Everyday brandyA three-star or VS brandy is plenty; this is not the place for a fine cognac.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The mulled wine story
People across Europe have been warming wine with spices for centuries, and every country has its own version: Glühwein in Germany, glögg in Scandinavia, vin chaud in France. The British version tends to be a little sweeter and leans on orange and cinnamon.
The one rule is heat. Keep it well below a simmer. Boil it and you drive off the alcohol and the spices turn bitter.
Mulled wine: your questions answered
What is in mulled wine?
Mulled wine is made with 750 ml fruity red wine, 100 ml brandy, an orange, 60 g caster sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves and 2 star anise, which makes 6 glasses. Garnish: orange slice and a cinnamon stick.
How strong is mulled wine?
Made to this recipe, mulled wine contains about 2.4 UK units of alcohol per glass. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve mulled wine in?
Serve mulled wine in a heatproof glass. No heatproof glass? Any mug or heatproof glass with a handle.
