Is your mulled wine doing the most?
This foolproof recipe is Taste Atlas-approved
We love a good, punchy swig of wine, packed with flavour to the brim.
But, chances are your batch of mulled wine is doing the most on the stove while doing least for your taste buds — and you don't even know it. A Taste Atlas insight traces mulled wine's origin back to ancient Rome, when soldiers heated wine with spices to stay warm during winter campaigns; as the empire expanded, the custom traveled with them, eventually taking hold in colder parts of Europe like Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia.
Now we're going to keep the legacy and nostalgia on hold while we let you know how to keep it alive. Follow the only mulled wine directions you'll ever need below.
Mulled wine
Ingredients: Red wine or white wine (though red wine is the more 'festive' pick) - 750ml, fruit — orange - 1 sliced, lemon - 1/2 sliced, apple slices (optional); spices — cinnamon - 1 stick, cloves - 6 to 8, star anise - 1 to 2, nutmeg - a pinch, cardamom - 2 to 3 pods; sweetener — sugar - 1/4 cup, honey - to taste, maple syrup - to taste
Method: Gently heat a bottle of red wine with the orange slices, lemon slices, apple slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, cardamom, sugar, honey and maple syrup. Don't boil it, or the alcohol evaporates.
{{/usCountry}}Method: Gently heat a bottle of red wine with the orange slices, lemon slices, apple slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, cardamom, sugar, honey and maple syrup. Don't boil it, or the alcohol evaporates.
{{/usCountry}}Now based on where you are, or the vibe you want to create, your add ins change. If you're trying to feel British, a splash of brandy or port is the way to go. If you want to lay it on thick like the Germans do, it's got to be rum. Want a Scandinavian Christmas? Be generous with the vodka, raisins and almonds. Finally, feeling French? Cognac's your plus-one for mulled wine hour.
{{/usCountry}}Now based on where you are, or the vibe you want to create, your add ins change. If you're trying to feel British, a splash of brandy or port is the way to go. If you want to lay it on thick like the Germans do, it's got to be rum. Want a Scandinavian Christmas? Be generous with the vodka, raisins and almonds. Finally, feeling French? Cognac's your plus-one for mulled wine hour.
{{/usCountry}}(recipe from Taste Atlas)
Are you ready to be wine drunk for Christmas week?
