Mulled wine is a traditional drink in many European countries. The most common is in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic. Previously, spices were very expensive, so the drink was available only to rich people. The rest of the population could afford such luxury only on holidays, mainly for Christmas. So the tradition was born to drink mulled wine during the New Year holidays.
In each country mulled wine is prepared in its own way:- Classic is the German Glühwein, consisting of red wine and spices. According to German standards, the strength of the drink should be at least 7 degrees.
- in France, the drink is called vin chaud, it is added with less cinnamon, but more cardamom, honey is used instead of granulated sugar, it is often supplemented with strong alcohol (rum, cognac, calvados);
- in England it is customary to call mulled wine, it has a lower sugar content, and fruits are usually replaced with fresh fruit;
- in Italy hot wine is called in French manners - vin brule, it is very tart and sweet, contains a lot of fruits, almonds, additives in the form of liqueurs;
- in Spain they drink a drink vino caliente (reminiscent of hot sangria), which, in addition to wine, is often added with vermouth, a lot of sugar and spices.
Secrets of making delicious mulled wine at home
As a snack, you can serve shortbread, pie with sweet stuffing (plums, pears, apples), chocolate, sweets, fresh fruit, cakes.During preparation it is recommended to follow the following rules:
- For mulled wine, only dry and semi-dry wines (rkatsiteli, cabernet sauvignon, merlot) are suitable. Semi-sweet and dessert are not suitable.
- Fruits are cut into medium pieces so that they do not fall apart during the cooking process, but the juice is isolated.
- Mulled wine should never be boiled in order not to evaporate alcohol. Optimum temperature of 70 degrees is considered.
- Before drinking, the drink should be infused for at least 10 minutes, then it must be filtered. If this is not done, it will acquire an unpleasant bitterish taste.
White mulled wine
Ingredients (for 3 portions)
- White wine (dry or table) - 0,5 l
- Rum - 30 ml.
- Orange and lemon - 1 pc.
- Cinnamon (sticks) - 1 pc.
- Carnation - 5 buds
- Badyan - 5 stars
- Honey - 20 g
Cooking method
- Pour the wine into a small refractory container. Add to it a stick of cinnamon, a star of badjan and a carnation. Preheat on low heat.
- Cut half of the orange first in circles, then quarters. Do the same with half a lemon.
- As soon as the first bubbles appear in the pan with wine, add the cut fruits and honey.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and immediately turn off the cooker.
- Allow the drink to brew (5-10 minutes).
- Strain the hot wine and add 30 ml of rum.
- Ready mulled wine pour into tall glasses, if desired, add sugar.
Coffee mulled wine
Ingredients (4-5 servings)
- Red dry wine - 0,75 l
- Reed brown sugar - 150 g
- Orange - 1 pc.
- Coffee natural finely ground - 4 tsp.
- Cinnamon sticks - 1 pc.
- Carnation - 4-5 buds
- Water - 120 ml
Cooking method
- The first thing to do is to weld strong coffee, similar to espresso. To do this, dry coffee (Turku) pour ground coffee with 2 tsp. sugar and a little heated on the stove. Then pour in warm boiled or filtered water (40-45 degrees). At the first boil, remove the Turk from the plate, stir and again put on the burner. As soon as coffee begins to boil a second time, remove it from the heat and pour into a cup. While the drink is being poured, you can start making mulled wine.
- Cut off half of the orange and cut it into slices.
- Pour the wine and coffee (without thickening) into a saucepan, pour out the sugar and add all the spices. At this stage, sugar can be replaced with honey. Preheat the contents of the container until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Add the chopped half of the orange to the pan.
- Bring the drink to 70-80 degrees and remove from the plate.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let the mulled wine steep for 15-20 minutes.
- Strain the ready-made drink, pour and decorate to your taste.
Apple mulled wine
- Ingredients (for 5-6 servings):
- Red dry wine 750 ml
- Apple (medium size, non-acid) - 1 pc.
- Apple juice - 1 l
- Lemon - 1 pc.
- Sugar sand - 2 tbsp. l.
- Carnation - 5-6 buds
- Ground cinnamon and ginger - 0.5 tsp.
Cooking method:
- Pour wine and apple juice into a saucepan or bucket. Stir and place on a slow fire.
- Slice the lemon and apple half the mug with a thickness of not more than 0.5 cm.
- Sliced fruit pour into a warm mixture of wine and juice. Then send sugar and spices. Continue cooking the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- As soon as the first bubbles appear, remove the pan from the plate. Allow the staff to stand for 20 minutes.
- A strained mulled wine is poured over the glasses. Serve with a slice of apple or lemon.
Mulled wine in Swedish
Ingredients (for 4-5 servings):
- Red semi-sweet wine or "Cahors" - 750 ml
- Peeled almonds - 40-45 nuts
- Orange - 1 pc.
- Raisins - 2 tbsp. l.
- Honey - 2 tbsp. l.
- Sweet pepper (peas) - 3 pcs.
- Ground cinnamon - 0.5 tsp.
- Carnation - 5 buds
Cooking method:
- Cut the orange into medium-sized circles.
- The bottom of the pot is covered with sliced oranges, pour out all the seasonings and add honey. Top with wine.
- Put the container on the stove. Preheat on medium heat until boiling.
- As soon as the drink begins to boil, turn off the stove. Cover the pan and leave for half an hour.
- At this time, rinse under warm water raisins and dry it.
- Before serving at the bottom of each glass, put a little mixture of raisins and almonds. Top with hot sifted mulled wine.