To spare you from reading this entire post in all caps, imagine us jumping up and down with ridiculous elation when you read every word of this post about mulled wine. YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS RECIPE. Sorry- couldn't resist.
If you haven't treated yourself to a batch of homemade mulled wine yet, you're in for something special. It's just as easy as putting together a pitcher of sangria and will please every single person who walks through your door. Mulled wine is fantastic for parties and if there's any left over after everyone leaves, it's great for one person too. The spice brings a new depth to the wine, creating flavors you'll start to crave every time the weather gets cold. We'll be serving a big batch this Christmas Eve, paired with a giant pot of our grandmother's chili. Let's us know what meal you'll serve mulled wine with - we can't wait to hear what you think!
Start by measuring out 3 cups of apple cider and 1 cup of brandy.
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Combine the two in a large pitcher and then add an entire bottle of red wine (not too cheap, not too expensive).
Measure out the ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground cloves, whole cloves, whole cinnamon, and anise stars and add those to the mixture.
While that's soaking for a moment, start to soften the honey by soaking it in a goal of hot water.
Squeeze your lemons for the fresh lemon juice...
Zest the orange...
Give it a whirl to mix well.
Now let it soak for 24 hours (if you're in a rush 2 hours will do). Pour the mulled wine through a strainer to filter out all the yummy spices, zest, and pulp.
Then, before dumping out what you've filtered, fish out and rinse off the cinnamon sticks and anise stars to throw back into the pitcher (those goodies are expensive).
And now? You're done! You did it! Time to garnish the wine glass with a stick of cinnamon and a fresh thin slice of orange. Enjoy this amazing beverage you've made and refrigerate it for up to ten days. Cheers!
Mulled Wine Recipe 1 bottle of red wine (mid-priced) 3 cups plain apple cider 2 large oranges 1 cup brandy ¼ cup honey ¼ cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 10 whole cloves 4 anise stars (or more) 4 cinnamon sticks (or more)