Mulled Wine
Our favorite holiday Mulled Wine is a simple recipe made with red wine, spices, and honey. Make it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker!
Why We Love Mulled Wine
- There is something so inviting about a warm drink on cold days. Mulled wine is a super easy cocktail to serve friends and family around the holidays.
- You only need 25 minutes from start to sip to make this recipe. It uses classic baking spices so you may already have them on hand.
- There’s no wrong red wine to use for mulled wine. Sure a full-bodied wine works best, but try different reds to find what you like best.
- Mulled wine kits make a great host/hostess gift for the holidays. Grab a bottle of red wine, put an orange and the spices into a baggie, and tie the onto the bottle. Then add a little note for how much honey/brown sugar to add, what temp, and how long to cook. Super easy!
What is Mulled Wine?
RED WINE: Choose your favorite red wine. I have some recommendations below for varietal choice. A good, medium-priced bottle is great for this recipe.
PRODUCE: You’ll be using orange slices to flavor and garnish the wine. You can also use fresh cranberries and rosemary for garnish. They add a great holiday touch and aromas to the drink.
MULLED WINE SPICES: I like to use cinnamon, cloves, and allspice to flavor the wine. You can also use star anise, but it does have a strong flavor, so use it sparingly.
SWEETENER: Traditionally honey is used to sweeten mulled wine. If you don’t have honey on hand, maple syrup and brown sugar can be substituted.
How to Make Mulled Wine
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 Add the wine, spices, and orange slices to a medium saucepan. You can add the honey now, or wait until serving to sweetened to wine to taste.
STEP 2 Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the wine for about 20 minutes. Do not let the wine simmer. You want it to warm up and stay just below bubbling.
STEP 3 Ladle the mulled wine into mugs and garnish with an orange slice, fresh cranberries, and/or a rosemary sprig.
Tips & Tricks
- Make mulled wine in a crockpot: Add the wine, spices, orange slices, and honey to a slow cooker and then cook on LOW for at least 1 hour before serving. You can also prepare it on the stovetop and keep the wine warm in a slow cooker on the WARM setting for parties.
- Do not let the wine come to a boil as you do not want the alcohol to evaporate or have any reduction to the wine which could cause it to become syrupy.
- I find the best wine for mulled wine to be rich, full-bodied red wine with spice and berry notes. I usually go with zinfandel, malbec, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon when making this recipe. You can absolutely try different varietals and vineyards to find your favorite combination.
- Give your mulled wine a kick and add 1/4 cup of brandy per 750mL bottle of wine. You can also try bourbon or cognac.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. Just be sure to use a large pot if you make a big batch.
Mulled Wine Recipe FAQ
Why is it called mulled wine?
“Mulled” is a term applied to a drink that has been heated, sweetened, and steeped in spices and fruits. This is typically done with wine or apple cider around the Fall and Winter months. My boys LOVE crock pot mulled cider on chilly days.
Is mulled wine alcoholic?
Yes. You’re using a whole bottle of wine and wine has alcohol in it.
How much sugar to add to mulled wine?
I use about 1/4 cup of honey per 750mL of wine. You can adjust the sweetener to taste. It’s important to add some sweetener since the wine will have a more alcoholic taste as it warms up.
Other Recipes You May like
- Cranberry Apple Fizz
- Bourbon Flip
- Apple Cider Whiskey Punch
- Sparkling Spiced Pumpkin Punch
- Apple Smash Cocktail
- Whipped Hot Chocolate
Mulled Wine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 750 mL red wine
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 3 allspice berries (optional)
- 1 orange sliced
- ¼ cup honey to taste
- Cranberries for garnish
- Rosemary sprigs for garnish
- Orange slices for garnish
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
- Add the wine, cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and orange slices to a medium saucepan. (You can add the honey now or wait until serving to sweeten to taste.)
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook for 20 minutes. Do not let the wine come to a simmer. You want it to heat up and stay just below bubbling.
- Ladle the wine into mugs and garnish with orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cranberries, and/or a rosemary spring before serving.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.