Mulled wine: how to make your own mulled wine at home in 5 easy steps

Mulled wine, also known as glühwein, is basically synonymous with Christmas these days - visit virtually any Christmas market and you’ll find stalls upon stalls ladling up the spiced and warming drink.

With roots that trace back to the second century, there’s a reason that this tipple has lasted the test of time, and is as popular today as ever. It’s sweet, fruity, spiced, warming and simply the perfect drink to enjoy on a cold winter’s night.

While you can always buy pre-made mulled wine to warm up at home, making your own couldn’t be simpler.

This is how to make your very own mulled wine in five easy steps, perfect for getting you into the festive season.

The recipe

This recipe for traditional mulled wine comes from Gimmie Some Oven.

These are the ingredients that you’ll need:

• One 750ml bottle of dry red wine, like a merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or  malbec
• A quarter cup, or 60 ml, of brandy, or any orange liqueur 
• One orange
• Eight whole cloves
• Two cinnamon sticks
• Two star anise 
• Two to four tablespoons of sugar, honey or any other sweetener 

The method

The great thing about this recipe is how simple it is.

1. Your first step is simply adding all of your ingredients into a pan, and giving it a nice mix to make sure everything is well combined. 
2. Next, heat up your mulled wine on a relatively high heat, until you see little bubbles just about starting to appear - be careful not to let your mixture boil as you don’t want to accidentally cook off all the alcohol. 
3. Once you’ve reached that point, turn your heat down low and cover the pan. Let your mulled wine simmer away for a minimum of 15 minutes, but you can leave it for up to three hours. 
4. When you’re ready to serve your mulled wine, you can discard the orange slices and the spices. Give it a quick taste and adjust for sweetness as necessary. 
5. Pour into mugs of your choosing and, if you’re feeling fancy, you can garnish your drinks with some fresh orange slices, star anise and cinnamon sticks. 

All that’s left is for you to enjoy!

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