time for mulled wine?
MULLED WINE RECIPES
TAKING YOUR TIME? OR IN A RUSH?

here's a collection of

MULLED WINE RECIPES

time for some mulled wine

December means merriment. Sure, there's a tremendous amount to do to prepare for the month's final week of merrymaking, but there's a sense of revelry throughout. Even exhausting errands make good excuses for sipping something belly-warming and festive. For many, drinking mulled wine during this season is a mainstay, but for the uninitiated we hope to entice you to make a batch.

Preparation isn't complicated. Making mulled wine requires only a few simple steps, and the recipe itself has lots of leeway for tweaking according to individual tastes, or for ingredients on hand. However, making mulled wine properly means setting aside some time for spices to steep. The rewards your patience include a home that smells of holidays, a colorful wine bowl of floating fruit, and a treat that warms your hands and belly.

Slow and Steady... If time's on your side, here's a basic technique for a traditional batch. You can use it and our pre-blended Mulling Spice Mix for an easy introduction to the holiday season classic.
1. gather ingredients
RED WINE - 750mL bottle
full-bodied recommended
SWEETENER - 1/2 cup
can be: cane sugar, light, or dark brown sugar
LIQUOR - 1/2 cup
vodka, rum, whiskey/bourbon, brandy
GINGER (FRESH) - 2 Tbsp
MULLING SPICE MIX - 2-3 Tbsp
formulas vary, but many include: cinnamon chips, cardamom pods, dried orange peel, star anise, allspice, cloves
Try Selefina's pre-blended Mulling Spice Mix.
FRUIT (SLICES), for garnish - enough for a sparse floating layer of fruit
favorites include: orange slices, apple slices, cranberries
SPICES (WHOLE), for garnish - enough for a few bits in each serving
favorites include: cinnamon sticks, star anise pods
2. heat and steep

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and heat to approximately 175°F. Try not to let the mixture boil, since high temperatures will cause the alcohol to evaporate. Once the sugar has dissolved (approximately 5 minutes) remove from heat and cover. Let this mixture steep for 1-3 hours.

3. spike and simmer

Just before it is time to serve your guests, add your liquor and bring back to a simmer. Almost every spiced-wine-drinking culture has a different favorite and the choice will tilt the taste of your punch.

4. sieve and serve

Once it's warm again, carefully sieve mixture into a punch bowl and add orange slices and/or other garnishes. Present the bowl with a ladle for serving into mugs.

The recipe for mulled wine has lots of leeway for tweaking according to individual tastes, or for ingredients on hand. Edit suggested ingredients at will. Experiment for personal perfection.
In a Rush... Microwave your mulling recipes. Here's a set of mulled wines that can give you the aroma and spiced warmth you crave but can be made in minutes versus hours.
Cardamom and Orange Mulled Wine
recipe by: Karyn Maier
photo by: Amy Carson

Warm and sweet with citrusy notes, this beverage provides all the best loved flavors of fall. It makes an excellent after-dinner drink served with apple crisp or pumpkin pie.

READY in 5 MIN

Maple and Bourbon Mulled Wine
recipe by: Karyn Maier
photo by: Amy Carson

The flavor of this mulled wine is as warm and inviting as its aroma. But it is what you make it – a good quality bourbon, a robust red wine and 100% real maple syrup are what makes this beverage exceptional.

READY in 5 MIN

Mulled White Wine with Orange and Cranberry
recipe by: Karyn Maier
photo by: Amy Carson

White wine, orange liquor and cranberry come together beautifully in this version of mulled wine, which traditionally calls for a robust red wine. The addition of an optional sugared cranberry garnish makes an impressive presentation.

READY in 5 MIN
(sugared cranberry garnish will take longer)

Mulled Wine in a Minute (or So)
recipe by: Karyn Maier

Stoke the fire, don your slippers and select a good book before bringing this delightful concoction to your lips. A quickie version of the holiday classic.

READY in 5 MIN (tops!)



Splitting the Difference... If you don't have hours, but can spend more than minutes, here are some short-hand versions of the more classic mulled wine recipes. They employ a saucepan and some steeping but the lengthier times of traditional mulled recipes are abbreviated.

Instead of pre-mixed mulling spices, these recipes use spices from those blends individually. This allows you to lean toward particular flavors and aromas. You can adjust quantities to your taste.
Glühwein
recipe by: Karyn Maier
photo by: Erin Beutel

Glühwein is a Christmastime mulled spice wine or cider. It is customarily served in Germany and Austria to holiday shoppers while they browse shops and market stalls. Glühwein is similar to Scandinavian Glögg, but is generally lower in sugar. Glühwein roughly translates from German to mean “smoldering," or "glow wine.”

READY in 20 MIN

Holiday Rush Glogg
recipe by: Karyn Maier
photo by: Erin Beutel

This Holiday Rush Glögg has all the flavors of the holiday season in a shortcut form. This is a time-modified version of Classic Glögg recipes that reduces the hours-long steep, and omits the nut and dried fruit embellishments found in traditional formulas. Ladle some Holiday Rush Glögg into your mug while you run about wrapping gifts and decorating and get in the holiday mood. Just remember when it's time for guests you can slow down and warm up with our Classic Glögg.

READY in 20 MIN





Try a traditional mulled wine recipe with steep times of 1-3 very aromatic hours, or try one of our microwave variations ready in minutes.
Highlighting A Mulled Wine Tradtion: Swedish Glögg Lastly, we offer a traditional Swedish version of mulled wine known as Glögg.

During the holiday season in Sweden, it’s customary to throw a glögg party for your friends and/or family.

In a celebration of the season, the host will fill their home with candles, holiday music, evergreen boughs, and of course, the mulled wine punch treat called “glögg.”

These parties are so popular that folks have taken to serving their mulled wine drinks in smaller mugs. This smaller quantity is in deference to their guests, who are often made to wander from party to party during December weekends.

READY in 1.5-3 HOURS
(but, AROMATIC in 15 MIN)

A glögg party sounds enticing, but how do you go about inviting your friends? If you aren't familiar with pronouncing Swedish, we discovered a video that can help.

Happily, Mr James Harbeck of Sesquiotica gives an endearing breakdown of how "glögg" should sound. He also asserts that even if you can't pronounce glögg, it's worth drinking because "it's like Christmas on hyperdrive."