Mulled Wine Recipe

Mulled Wine is a traditional holiday drink made with red wine, brandy, and mulling spices like cloves, star anise, and cinnamon. It’s delicious, cozy, and guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.

Cooler temperatures are here and the holidays are fast approaching, cozy up with a cup (or two) of this warm spiced wine.

What is Mulled Wine

Mulled Wine, in its simplest form, is a wine that has been spiced, sweetened, and served warm- usually with some sort of hard liquor.

In Germany, mulled wine is known as Gluhwein or “glow wine” and is made with a shot of rum or amaretto. In Prague, the beautiful city where I had my first mulled wine experience, it is called svařák and while everyone in Prague has their own unique twist on this festive drink, it is most commonly served without the addition of additional liquor. Head over to Sweden and you’ll get Gløgg- a wine made with blanched almonds, raisins, cardamom, and typically more sugar.

While the foundation for mulled wine is the same no matter where you go, the regional differences give each their own unique taste and flavor.

Ingredients in Mulled Wine

• Wine. The most important ingredient. You can use red or white wine, but it’s traditionally made with an inexpensive red wine.
• Liquor (optional). Similar to sangria, mulled wine really loves a little brandy. However, feel free to pick your favorite liquor- rum, vodka, brandy- or leave it out altogether.
• Oranges. Oranges are the classic addition to mulled wine, but feel free to include clementines or lemons (or both!).
• Fruit. I went a little rogue with this recipe and added fresh cranberries and blackberries. The blackberries, in particular, added really nice sweet berry notes.
• Whole spices. Although it differs from region to region, there are three must-have spices in any warm and toasty wine (according to me)- whole cloves, star anise, and whole cinnamon sticks. Add whatever you have on hand, but take care to remove all spices (especially those little cloves) before serving.
• Sweetener. I used maple syrup, but brown sugar, granulated sugar, or honey would also work. Of course, feel free to skip the added sugar. 

How to make Mulled Wine

Stovetop Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot or saucepan set over medium heat. 
2. Gently bring the wine to a low simmer over medium-low heat. Do not boil. Heat for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. To serve, carefully ladle into the desired number of serving glasses. Leave the spices behind for re-use.
4. Garnish with additional fruit, if desired.

Slow Cooker/Crockpot Method:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a 4-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and heat on LOW for 1 hour, or until the wine is warm throughout.
3. Ladle into glasses leaving behind any spices.
4. Garnish with fruit, if desired.

Does Mulled Wine Have Alcohol?

Yes. Mulled wine is warm spice-infused wine.

Many mulled wine recipes (like this one) often include liquor like brandy, vodka, or rum, thus making mulled wine even more potent. The key to maintaining alcohol in mulled wine is to avoid boiling for prolonged periods of time. A few seconds of boiling will not boil away all the alcohol in your mulled wine; however, it’s best to keep it at a low simmer. The idea is to get the wine warm enough so that the spices and fruit can infuse into the wine, but not so warm that it starts to boil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have you tried making this Mulled Wine Recipe?

Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes, I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.