Glühwein – literally glowing wine – is an alcoholic drink that is mainly drunk in the period just before Christmas. The recipe for making mulled wine is based on the customs of centuries ago. For example, the Romans already added herbs to their wine.
Today, no Christmas market, ice rink or winter sports location can do without mulled wine. The sweet and spicy scent of this alcoholic beverage instantly evokes memories of Christmas Eve and cold, white winters. Do you want to make mulled wine yourself? In this blog you can read how to make the best mulled wine to get through the winter days warm!
History of mulled wine
The history of mulled wine goes back centuries. As we know the alcoholic snack, it originated in the Middle Ages. In Germany, a recipe was developed based on a mixture of wine, herbs and fruit. For years, drinking mulled wine has been considered a tradition on the German Christmas market. Do you want to make your own mulled wine? Then read on for the recipe!
Ingredients
The ingredients you need for about 8 glasses:
- half lemon
- 2 oranges
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 3 cardamom grains
- 2 pieces star anise
- 2 liters of smooth red wine (You can’t taste the difference between expensive or cheap wine, because you make the mulled wine with all kinds of spices)
- 3 tablespoons sugar or sweetener
Make your own mulled wine: how?
This recipe is a traditional mulled wine recipe. The advantage of making mulled wine yourself is that you can add ingredients to your own taste. Would you like a splash of cognac? Add extra citrus fruits? You can vary endlessly.
Step 1 : Take a large pan into which you empty the red wine. Place this pan on a very low heat. The wine is not supposed to boil, as the alcohol will then evaporate.
Step 2 : Cut the lemon and one orange into thin slices. Add these slices, the cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and cardamom to the pan of warm wine.
Step 3 : The zest of the other orange can be used to peel curls. Making these curls is easiest with a vegetable peeler. Add half of the curls to the pan. The other half can be used to garnish the glass.
Step 4 : Do you have any orange left? Squeeze the juice into the pan and add sugar or sweetener to taste.
Step 5 : Leave the pan with wine and ingredients on a low heat for about 30 to 40 minutes. Again it is important that the mulled wine does not boil, so that the alcohol is not evaporated.
Don’t like bits in your mulled wine? Making your own mulled wine has a big advantage: you can present it according to your own wishes. Optionally, you can choose to remove all pieces from the mulled wine with a sieve. Finish the mulled wine with orange curls!
Is your homemade mulled wine not quite finished? It is best to keep these in the fridge. The mulled wine will keep for about as long as the normal red wine after it has been opened. We recommend that you keep it in the fridge for a maximum of 3 days.
Don’t feel like making your own mulled wine? Go out with an electric camper during the Christmas holidays and visit the German Christmas markets for the real Christmas feeling!
