Fragrant mulled wine has been known since the Middle Ages. Due to the high cost of spices, this was one of the ways to show how rich the family is, allowing itself to drink such a drink on frosty days. Later, mulled wine in many countries became an indispensable drink of Christmas. Hot, outgoing mouth-watering steam, it is bottled in stalls at snow-covered sparkling fairs and will certainly be cooked at home according to national and family recipes.
Pick your recipe
Classic Austrian-style mulled wine
The snow-covered Alps and German snow-covered cities are as much as possible associated with this mulled wine, for which you will need:
- 10 cloves of cloves;
- 4 oranges;
- 2/3 cups of brown sugar;
- 2 cinnamon sticks;
- 1 ½ liter of red wine (merlot or syrah);
- 1 cup of rum.
Remove the zest from the oranges and squeeze the juice out of the pulp. In a three-liter saucepan over medium heat, bring the juice to a boil, add 1/3 cup warm water, sugar and bring, stirring, to a boil. When sugar dissolves, reduce heat, add cinnamon sticks and half orange zest, cloves. Cook over low heat until a characteristic aroma appears for about 15 minutes. Taste the spiced mixture and add sugar if necessary. Pour in the wine, do not cover tightly and simmer for about an hour, not allowing to boil. Add rum, mix and cook for another 5 minutes. Strain and pour into heat-resistant mugs. You can decorate mulled wine glasses with stripes of the remaining orange peel.
Scandinavian mulled wine
Mulled wine is also brewed in the Scandinavian countries, but they call it glego. To prepare it, you will need:
- ½ cup soft golden raisins;
- 10 buds of cloves;
- zest from 2 oranges;
- ½ cup sugar;
- 2 cinnamon sticks;
- 6 boxes of cardamom;
- 1 ½ liter of red wine;
- 3 cups of port wine (rub);
- 1/3 cup roasted almonds.
Put raisins in a small bowl and fill it with vodka. Cover with cling film or a platter. Insert the cloves into the orange zest.
In a pan, boil enough liquid syrup from ½ cup of water and sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and put the cinnamon, cardamom and orange zest stuffed with cloves in the syrup. Cook, stirring, for about 15 minutes, until a pleasant aroma appears. Pour in the wine, cover, leaving a small gap and simmer for about an hour. Add port, soaked raisins and vodka, mix well and boil for about 5 minutes. Add sugar if necessary. Strain and serve.