Mulled wine is a favorite holiday party staple. It sounds medieval. If we dig back in history, we learn that mulled wine dates back to the second century. The Roman soldiers mixed honey with wine and then slowly heated the mixture. As the mixture was heated, they added hearty spices like pepper and bay leaves to warm their bodies in the dead of winter. It was also a method to keep wine and fresh spices from spoiling. Since they couldn’t necessarily drink the water, the wine was a must. As the Romans conquered Europe, mulled wine became increasingly popular and spread throughout the European regions.
Today it works in much the same way. When crisp autumn nights roll around and you want something to both warm you up and take the edge off, something a cup of tea can’t do, try out this recipe.
How to Make Mulled Wine
The first thing to do is get together your list of ingredients and get to the market. To make mulled wine, you’ll need:
- Organic apple cider
- A bottle of dry red wine try Malbec or Syrah
- Waxing Kara Honey
- A few oranges and lemons
- Bag of fresh cranberries
- Lots of cinnamon sticks
- Whole cloves
- Star anise
- Fresh rosemary for garnish
Making Mulled Wine
Mix together cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cranberries, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into glass mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve with cinnamon stick and rosemary sprig.
Adapting our Mulled Wine Recipe
Make this recipe yours. If you are feeling creative or you prefer to use a different kind of wine or a different combination of fruits that may currently be more readily available at your farmers market, we say GO FOR IT. Play with your food. Change up this recipe. Have a little fruit and spice with your wine. Here are some ideas:
- Try adding a little ginger-flavored brandy or fresh sliced ginger to this recipe
- Try adding a little cinnamon schnapps
- Make this recipe in advance and serve chilled
- Orange blossom honey pairs well with the added fruit and spices
If you decide to make this recipe or any variation that we’ve suggested or better yet, your very own take, why not take a photo and share it with us using #waxingkararecipes on Instagram. We love seeing your photos!
Mulled Wine Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 c organic apple cider
- 1 bottle dry red wine try Malbec or Syrah
- 1/4 c Waxing Kara Honey
- 10 cinnamon sticks
- 1 orange zested and juiced
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 12 oz fresh cranberries bag
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 star anise
- 2 oranges sliced, for garnish
- 2 lemons sliced, for garnish
- 3 Sprigs fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Mix together cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cranberries, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve with cinnamon stick and rosemary sprig.
Nutrition
Consider serving mulled wine as an accompaniment to your Thanksgiving Feast, including cranberry relish and stuffed sweet potatoes.
I was so happy when a family member shared that she made this recipe and it was a big hit at a party she hosted.