Glühwein – also called mulled wine with different spices – is extremely popular. Nowadays you can find this snack at almost every Christmas market, ice rink or winter sports location. The sweet smell in combination with the smell of the herbs evokes memories of a white winter. Did you know that the alcohol-free mulled wine is even easier to make than the version with alcohol?
When making the version with alcohol, it is important to make sure that the wine does not boil. When the wine starts to boil, the alcohol evaporates. You don’t have to take that into account with the alcohol-free variant! In this blog you can read how to make non-alcoholic mulled wine with grape or berry juice, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, honey and (organic) lemon and orange.
History of mulled wine
Centuries ago, mulled wine (with alcohol) originated in the Middle Ages. The recipe was developed in Germany and contains wine, various herbs and fruits as main ingredients. Drinking mulled wine has become a real tradition in Germany, so you can’t visit a Christmas market without encountering mulled wine.
More and more you see non-alcoholic drinks and people insert a so-called detox month. There used to be a taboo here, but luckily this taboo is a thing of the past. There are plenty of reasons to drink alcohol-free, such as pregnancy, not feeling like a hangover or because it’s just delicious. Want to make your own non-alcoholic mulled wine? Then read on for the recipe!
Ingredients for the non-alcoholic mulled wine
You will need the following ingredients to make about a liter of non-alcoholic mulled wine (equivalent to about 4-6 glasses):
- 1 liter red grape juice or berry juice
- 300ml water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 1 (organic) orange
- 1 (organic) lemon
- 10 cloves
- Sugar, sweetener or honey as desired
Making non-alcoholic mulled wine: how?
Step 1: Pour the grape juice or berry juice and the water into a large pan and put it on the stove. Add the cinnamon stick and star anise.
Step 2: Cut the citrus fruit into four pieces – after washing under the warm tap. Put a clove in each of the four pieces.
Step 3: Add the orange and lemon to the pan on the stove. Are you having a drink of the non-alcoholic mulled wine? Then turn the heat down to low for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 4: The advantage of making non-alcoholic mulled wine yourself? You can decide for yourself how sweet you make this snack. Do you miss the sweet taste? Add sugar, sweetener or honey to taste.
Do you not like bits in your mulled wine? You can remove the pieces from non-alcoholic mulled wine with a sieve. Do you have an orange lying around? Then make curls of the peel with a vegetable peeler. Nice to decorate your glasses or cups!
Can’t drink your non-alcoholic mulled wine in one go? Fortunately, you can easily store it in the fridge. If you have not yet sieved the pieces in your snack, it is useful to do so now. Then pour your homemade mulled wine into a bottle and put it in the fridge. You can enjoy it for another day or three!
Do you want to reheat the alcohol-free mulled wine? Pour the snack into a pan and put it on low heat for about fifteen minutes. Did you know that the non-alcoholic version of the mulled wine – in contrast to the version with alcohol – is also very tasty to drink cold? Give it a try!
Enjoy your non-alcoholic mulled wine during a stay in a cozy tiny house in Friesland or visit the German Christmas markets with an electric camper and taste the mulled wine at the place of origin!
