Mulled Wine Holiday Drink Recipe

How do parents get through the holidays? Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but personally, I find I’m a much more magical version of Santa with a glass of wine in my hand. 

I find I’m a much more magical version of Santa with a glass of wine in my hand. But since it’s winter and it’s chilly outside I like that wine to be warm and smell like Christmas.
Enter mulled wine.

But since it’s winter and it’s chilly outside I like that wine to be warm and smell like Christmas. Enter mulled wine.

But what is mulled wine? Mulled wine is basically wine simmered together with a few festive ingredients and poured into a mug instead of a glass.

What is mulled wine? Mulled wine is basically wine simmered together with a few festive ingredients and poured into a mug instead of a glass.

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When I learned you could drink warm spiced wine, I couldn’t find the cinnamon sticks fast enough. It’s become a tradition at my house to whip up this concoction every year on Christmas and I feel that we have finally perfected the recipe. 

Here’s how to create a little holiday spirit in a mug. 

Mulled Wine Ingredients/Spices

• 4 cups of apple cider (can also be mulled apple cider of course)
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks (a few extra for garnish if you like)
• 4 whole cloves (not ground)
• 3 star anise
• 2 oranges: one to juice and zest, the other peeled as garnish
• 1 bottle (750ml) of red wine, like an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon or fruity wine
• OPTIONAL: 1-3 shots of spiced rum, brandy, liquor, bourbon, or apple jack – experiment with what you like!

Tip: If you live in the Kingston, Ontario area, I find the best one-stop-shop for all of these ingredients is Loblaws. They have a wider selection of fancy spices you may not use every day and also sell wine right in the store.

How to Make Mulled Wine

1. In a large saucepan or pot combine 4 cups apple cider, 1/4 cup of honey, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 whole cloves, 3 star anise, orange zest and juice. Do not use ground spices. It doesn’t taste very good (trust me, I’ve tried) and don’t add the alcohol yet.

2. Bring everything to a boil on the stove, once it’s boiling reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. When your holiday concoction is hot and your house smells amazing, you’re there. Add in your bottle of wine and any additional alcohol you like. Warm it for only a minute or two, boiling your booze will rid it of its alcoholic content. We wouldn’t want that now, would we…

4. Pour into mugs and garnish with orange, orange peel, or additional cinnamon sticks. Your choice!

If you’re looking for the perfect alcoholic Christmas drink, consider it found. Should you have any leftover you can simply store it on the counter in a mason jar and reheat it as you like.

Enjoy this Christmas drink if you decide to make it be sure to tag me in a photo of your creation via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. I’d love to see your take on the recipe and hear what you think of it!

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Anna

Other Super Tasty Things You Should Make:

• This wine will only make you a better baker, so why not whip up my chocolate chunk cookies while you drink it? My large recipe is perfect to gift to your neighbours and loved ones and you won’t even notice if a few disappear.
• My banana chocolate chip muffins are easy and healthy enough that you don’t need to feel guilty about eating them.
• Feed the whole family with my simple dutch pancake recipe. It uses only 5 basic ingredients and just one skillet.
• Sausage rice casserole that’s quick and easy to make and requires no fancy ingredients/kitchen tools. This is also something my toddler will actually eat so, that’s a win.
• You can also find more recipes in FoodSTRUCK.

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This post was originally published in 2015 and updated in December 2021.