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Home » Recipe Index » Posts

Glühwein (Mulled Wine)

Published: Dec 15, 2020 · Modified: Feb 20, 2025 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

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Two clear glasses filled with mulled wine and garnished with a cinnamon stick, star anise, and an orange slice.

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!

VIDEO ALERT: Be sure to check out the video for this recipe in the recipe card.  If you like the video, subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Two clear glasses filled with mulled wine and garnished with a cinnamon stick, star anise, and an orange slice.

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.

A hand pouring red wine from a bottle into a large silver pot on the stove.

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.

A hand holding a small white bowl filled with two cinnamon sticks and several cloves.

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!

A hand pouring mulling spices from a package into a large silver pot.

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.

A hand dropping an orange slice into a large silver pot on the stove.

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.

A silver pot filled with red wine, orange slices, and mulling spices with a wooden spoon in the middle of it all.

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.

A hand placing a cinnamon stick into a clear glass filled with mulled wine.

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.

A silver pot of mulled red wine with orange slices in it sitting next to a package of mulling spices and two glasses of mulled wine.

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!

A clear glass filled with mulled wine garnished with star anise, a cinnamon stick, and an orange slice.

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!

Two clear glasses filled with mulled wine and garnished with a cinnamon stick, star anise, and an orange slice.

Mulled Wine (Glühwein)

Mulled Wine (Glühwein) is perfect for sipping by the fire, or out on the slopes, or when friends and family come over. Make a big batch, keep it warm in your slow cooker, and you'll be very happy, even if the weather outside is frightful!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cocktail
Cuisine: German
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 95kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Video

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
  • ¾ 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.

Notes

When selecting wine, 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.
Make sure you simmer the mulled wine over low heat.  If you bring it to a boil, it will reduce the liquid, as well as cook out all of the alcohol. 
The mulled wine can be made a day in advance, and then gently reheated over low heat before serving.
The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if serving a larger gathering.

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 74IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

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Comments

  1. Kacie says

    December 16, 2020 at 12:46 pm

    OMGGGGG, y’all. I can’t wait to make this for Christmas Eve!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      December 16, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      You’re gonna love it!! Really gets you in the holiday spirit!!! Merry Christmas!!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  2. Barbara says

    December 16, 2020 at 12:01 am

    Hey Guys,

    Love it. Wanted to wish you both a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year “2021”.
    I love your recipes. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      December 16, 2020 at 5:52 pm

      Merry Christmas, Barbara!!! Thank you so much!!! Happy 2021!!!!! xoxoxo Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  3. Colleen Simmers says

    December 15, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    5 stars
    I am a long time viewer and love you guys so much. I only had mulled wine once and it was so awesome. Since then I developed a bad allergy to citrus. Do you have any ideas on what I can do to make this without oranges and lemon?

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      December 16, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      Hi Colleen! Well, we suggest just leaving it out, or using lemon-flavored water in place of the water. It’s still going to be delicious, even without the citrus. Let us know how it turns out if you make it! And happy holidays and sending so much love back to you, too!!!! xoxoxo

      Reply
5 from 1 vote

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