This post is kindly sponsored by The Spice Hunter, but the recipe, photography, video, and opinions are 100% ours.
This warm and comforting red spiced wine is a celebration of the season. And warms you to the bone.
We first discovered this delicious beverage while visiting beautiful Salzburg, Austria during the Christmas season many years ago. With one sip, you are immediately comforted and reminded of how beautiful the holidays are. And it is easy to prepare and can be made a day in advance!
How To Make Glühwein (Mulled Wine)
As is always the case, this recipe is only as good as the ingredients you use to prepare it.
Good wine is a must. You don’t have to break the bank by any means, but the quality is essential.
And of course, you’ll want to use top-notch spices to warm the wine. More on that shortly.
Best Wine for Mulled Wine
If you’ve ever walked the red wine aisle at your favorite wine store, we don’t have to tell you there are endless varieties to choose from.
For this particular red spiced wine, we suggest a nice robust wine, with fruity overtones.
Beaujolais (or Beaujolais Nouveau) is always our first choice and is usually available just in time for the holiday season. Other wonderful options include Pinot Noir, Malbec, Syrah, or even a nice Cabernet.
Pour two 750 ml. bottles of red wine into a medium-sized pot.
Now, it’s time to start spicing things up.
Cloves and cinnamon sticks help to deliver that classic holiday taste.
Turn your stove on low as you add the wonderful aromatics.
Gourmet Mulling Spices Are Essential
We believe what sets this recipe from all the others is the amazing Gourmet Mulling Spices from The Spice Hunter.
Made with the finest traditional mulling spices with no sugar or preservatives added, it is simply the best there is.
EXPERT TIP: Obviously, we love using The Spice Hunter’s Mulling Spices in our Glühwein, but it’s also amazing in hot spiced apple cider or even your cup of morning coffee. The smell alone is enough to make you want to curl up, grab a good book, and count the good things in life! It’s really that good!
Citrus deepens the flavor profile and a combination of fresh oranges and lemons is a wonderful addition.
We squeeze the juice from two lemons into the pot.
EXPERT TIP: You can cut the oranges into wagon wheels or smaller chunks. We find that the sliced orange adds a nice appearance as they float atop the warmed wine.
Once all the ingredients have been added to the pot, bring it all to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.
You can also place all the ingredients in a slow-cooker and set it on LOW. Allow several hours for the spiced wine to warm and meld all the flavors.
Before serving, you’ll need to strain the liquid to remove the mulling spices.
And did we mention how your house will smell while it’s simmering? Heavenly.
How To Serve Glühwein (Mulled Wine)
This is always such a festive beverage to serve to guests during the holiday season.
We love to place the Glühwein in a medium-sized slow-cooker with a large ladle in it. Allow guests to fill their own mugs and then give them garnishes to add including:
- Star Anise
- Orange Slices
- Cinnamon Sticks
EXPERT TIP: In addition to the amazing mulling spices, we always use The Spice Hunter’s Cinnamon Sticks. They are so flavorful and make the perfect stirrers for the spiced wine! Like all of The Spice Hunter’s products, they are sourced from the finest growing regions around the world, and you can truly taste the difference.
The Spice Hunter Is Perfect for the Passionate Cook
We honestly can’t say enough about the quality line of products from The Spice Hunter. There is hardly a day that goes by that we don’t use at least one of their products in our culinary creations.
Their spice blends are an easy way to add big flavor to your dishes and they offer over 150 varieties and sizes. We love using them in all of our holiday dishes, including their Organic Whole Nutmeg in our amazing Gourmet Green Bean Casserole!
All products are available on their website, or to find a store near you, check this Where To Buy link. Top retailers include Sprouts, King Soopers, Weis, Kings, Dierbergs, Harris Teeter, Food City, Dierbergs, and Meijer.
The Mulling Spices from The Spice Hunter make our Mulled Wine recipe as good as it possibly can be. And it’s really, really good.
To us, nothing spells the joy of the holiday season more than a heart-warming batch of Mulled Wine, or Glühwein.
It’s nostalgic, it’s comforting, it’s beautiful, and it’s just so delicious.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Ready to make the best mulled wine this side of the North Pole? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and @TheSpiceHunter and hashtag #spicehunter and #thespicehunter!
Mulled Wine (Glühwein)
Equipment
- Medium-sized pot for simmering
- Slow-cooker for keeping warm (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 bottles red wine see NOTES for best wine to use
- 1 cup sweet vermouth
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1.2 oz. mulling spices
- 6 cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks plus more for garnish
- 1 lemon freshly squeezed
- 2 oranges sliced, divided
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add the wine, vermouth, water, sugar, mulling spices, cloves, cinnamon sticks, lemon juice, and slices from 1 of the oranges (leave the other orange sliced for garnish). Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes (don't let boil!).
- Strain the liquid through a sieve and discard the solids, reserving the orange slices.
- If desired, transfer to a slow-cooker and place on the WARM setting. Place the orange slices back into the mulled wine.
- Serve with anise seeds, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices for garnishing.
