Easy Mulled Wine Recipe (2024)

When the mulled wine appears, the holidays are officially here!

Guaranteed to warm you from the inside out, this mulled wine recipe is the real deal made with a robust red wine, warm spices, and just the right touch of sweetness!

A cozy mug of this sweet and spicy Christmas drink is the perfect way to enjoy holiday cheer!

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What is Mulled Wine?

  • Mulled wine has quite a history! As far back as the 2nd century, the Romans heated wine to ward off the chill. As the recipe spread across Europe, it evolved into a popular hot beverage offered all throughout the holidays.
  • This drink is known by many other names around the globe like glögg in Germany.
  • Just like apple cider, mulled wine is a classic warm holiday drink for parties and potlucks! Put everything in one pot and heat, how easy is that?
  • Busy holidays need easy recipes, especially if company’s coming. Our guests welcome a soothing cup of mulled wine after a busy day of holiday prep!
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Best Wine to Use

Mulled wine is known for its simmered combination of rich red wine, a light sweetener, and then the perfect touch of savory spices and citrus.

WINE The best wines for mulling wine are red wines that are ‘heavy’ with full-bodied flavor and notes of cherry, berries, oak, or vanilla. It’s okay to buy bargain wines and even to mix leftover wines together! Try a malbec, cabernet sauvignon, or grenache.

For an even headier version of mulled wine, a ¼ cup of brandy, bourbon, cognac, or your favorite liqueur will make an even more festive beverage!

SWEETENER Honey is the traditional sweetener for mulled wine because it dissolves easily and lightly sweetens without making the beverage thick and syrupy. However, it’s okay to whisk in maple syrup, brown sugar, agave, or sugar-free monk fruit syrup.

MULLING SPICES Short on time? Mulling spices are sold in small, muslin bags that can be tossed in heated wine or cider, but it’s easy to DIY! The best mulled wine spices include a combination of sweet, spicy, and savory spices.

Use whole spices including cloves, cinnamon sticks, and allspice berries (if you can find them). Optional additions include star anise, cardamom pods, or peppercorns.

GARNISH Mulled wine is made all the more festive by its colorful garnishes! Strips or slices of thinly sliced oranges, or wedges of tangerines, sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme, cinnamon sticks, and fresh cranberries.

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How to Make Mulled Wine

  1. Combine all ingredients except garnishes.
  2. Heat on the stove but do not simmer.
  3. Ladle into mugs & garnish.

PRO TIP:Take care to only heat (not boil) so the alcohol doesn’t boil out making the wine thick and syrupy!

How to Serve Mulled Wine

  • Ladle from the pot into mugs.
  • Keep it warm in a slow cooker and let guests help themselves.
  • Keep small bowls of cinnamon sticks, rosemary sprigs, and candied orange peels close by so guests can garnish their own mugs of mulled wine!
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Warm up the Holidays!

  • Irish Coffee – creamy coffee with a spike
  • Homemade Eggnog Recipe
  • Cozy Hot Toddy Recipe – perfect on a cold day
  • Cranberry Moscow Mule
  • Spiked Eggnog Latte – only 4 easy ingredients
  • Homemade Hot Chocolate – a kid favorite

More Cozy Holiday Drinks

Homemade Eggnog Recipe

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Cranberry Moscow Mule

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Homemade Hot Chocolate

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Copycat Baileys Recipe (Homemade Irish Cream)

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Cozy Hot Toddy Recipe

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Did you make this Mulled Wine? Leave us a rating and a comment below!

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Mulled Wine

Sweet, savory, and served warm from the stovetop, this Mulled Wine is a perfect way to celebrate the holidays!

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ReviewPrint

Easy Mulled Wine Recipe (13)

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

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Servings 5 servings

Easy Mulled Wine Recipe (15)

Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 750 ml red wine any wine you'd like
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 allspice berries optional
  • 1 orange sliced
  • ¼ cup honey more or less to taste
  • cranberries for garnish
  • candied orange slices for garnish
  • rosemary sprig for garnish

Instructions

  • Combine wine and spices in a medium saucepan.

  • Add orange slices and honey and heat over low heat for 20 minutes. Do not simmer.

  • To serve, place the mulled wine in mugs and garnish as desired. We add cranberries, orange slices, and rosemary or a cinnamon stick.

Notes

Wine for Mulled Wine

Choose a full-bodied red wine or red wine blend that has rich spice and berry notes for the best results. Merlot, cabernet, red zinfandel, or red blend are all great options.

Optional Additions

Brandy is an optional addition, I recommend ¼ cup or so per 750ml bottle of wine. You can also try bourbon, cognac, or your favorite liqueur.

Apple Cideris another great addition and will make this a bit lighter on alcohol and will also stretch the bottle of wine to serve a crowd. (Be sure to use apple cider and not apple cider vinegar). Add between 2-4 cups.

More Notes

Do not skip the sweetener, it is needed to balance this recipe. You can substitute brown sugar or a sweetener of your choice.

Do not let the wine come to a boil or the alcohol will evaporate or the wine will reduce too much.

5 from 10 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 5oz | Calories: 185 | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Easy Mulled Wine Recipe (17) Course Beverage, Drink, Drinks

Easy Mulled Wine Recipe (18) Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

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Beverages, Christmas, Recipes

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Easy Mulled Wine Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What wine is good for mulled wine? ›

Try Blaufränkisch or Zweigelt, two red wines from Austria, a light and fruity Pinot Noir, or for something a bit more rich and juice, Zinfandel from California or South America.

What can I substitute for brandy in mulled wine? ›

Brandy: Similar to sangria, it's also traditional to spike your mulled wine with an extra bit of liqueur. Brandy is the traditional choice, but Cointreau (or another orange liqueur) or tawny port are also delicious alternatives.

How do you keep the alcohol in mulled wine? ›

Ainsley Harriott recommends mulling wines in a slow cooker and says two hours at low temperature gives excellent results and should retain most alcohol content.

Can you use regular wine for mulled wine? ›

Red wines are traditionally used to make mulled wine, and while any red wine can work, sweet reds will give you a nice, sweet base, meaning less sugar added in later. If you use a dry red, keep in mind you may need to add more sugar than a recipe calls for.

Can you use cheap wine for mulled wine? ›

Leftover wine, boxed wine, $6 wine — that's all fine here. But if you're putting some thought into it, opt for a fuller-bodied, lower-tannin red. Mulled wine is not a delicate beverage, so I wouldn't choose a delicate wine like Pinot Noir or Gamay as the base.

What is the best cheap red wine for mulled wine? ›

Best Merlot

This is medium-bodied, bright and super delicious. “For mulled wine, I'd use an inexpensive cabernet sauvignon or merlot from Chile, as these wines show lots of fruit and not so many tannins. No need to spend money here!” says Jeff Harding, wine director at New York's Waverly Inn.

Why is my mulled wine so bitter? ›

'Remember not to boil the liquid at any point, otherwise you'll burn off the alcohol and make your mulled wine taste bitter. '

How long should you heat mulled wine? ›

Mulled wine recipe:

After warming, add your remaining ingredients and gently simmer the mixture over low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure the mixture remains under 80 °C. Once everything is well infused, remove it from the heat.

Is mulled wine good for you? ›

It contains high levels of polyphenols, which help combat oxidative stress, reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Additionally, cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties that may assist in lowering inflammation in the body. The red wine base in mulled wine brings its own set of health benefits.

Can Muslims drink mulled wine? ›

The general rule is that a Muslim must avoid Alcoholic drinks. Of course, there is a chance that a Muslim would refuse to drink, even when he/she knows that the wine is alcohol-free.

Can you overcook mulled wine? ›

Be careful not to overcook as the wine will reduce. Remove pan from heat. Cover and steep until well-flavored. We recommend letting it steep 5 to 10 minutes.

Will mulled wine get you drunk? ›

Yes you can get pretty heavily drunk on it. Your friends are, lets face it, "drinkers". Of course - it's got alcohol.

Can I use Cabernet Sauvignon for mulled wine? ›

The best wine for mulled wine is dry and full-bodied, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Zinfandel, or Syrah. These will stand up to the other flavors and ensure the spiced wine won't be too sweet. Use Whole Spices. I don't recommend ground spices, as they will float on top of the wine and not incorporate properly.

Does homemade mulled wine keep? ›

Just follow the directions for your favorite recipe and let the wine simmer with spices until it's deeply infused. Then let the mulled wine cool at room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge — it will keep well there for up to three days.

What is the difference between mulled wine and spiced wine? ›

Modern day mulled wine is typically sweeter than its 'spiced wine' predecessors, as it tends to use more fruit juice to help tune out the overwhelming acidity and spice.

What is the best wine to drink when its hot? ›

Light-bodied reds, like Barbera and Pinot Noir, are a great alternative during the hot summer months. Light-bodied reds can take a chill and are best served at 55–64 degrees. Throwing your bottle in the fridge an hour before dinner ensures these wines are right in the sweet spot for your next backyard barbeque.

Is Pinot Noir good for mulled wine? ›

Ideally you want to use bigger and bolder red wines like Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, or Cabernet, but any fruity red wine your family members are leaving around will do. I've used Pinot Noir before to success. Honestly, whatever red wine that you're stuck with and you don't want to drink, they'll work.

Is mulled wine Sweet or Dry? ›

Also known as spiced wine, mulled wine is a sweet and spicy alcoholic beverage typically made with red wine and a variety of mulling spices. It's traditionally served hot and is most often enjoyed during winter, particularly the holiday season.

What is the difference between red mulled wine and white mulled wine? ›

So let's talk about the delicious flavor. Both wines are flavored with apple cider, some vanilla bean, an assortment of spices and fruit. The red is sweetened with a touch of maple syrup (YES!) while the white is sweetened with some honey and ginger.

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