Mulled wine has been enjoyed for thousands of years and now it has become the most sought after beverage for the holidays. It’s nothing but a simple wine that’s flavored with additional fruit juices and spices and then slightly heated. This process gives wine a completely different taste and is a great alternative to coffees, toddy’s and ciders at holiday gatherings. It is not a tough job to make mulled wine but still there are few tricks that can definitely make it taste even better. You need not be a wine expert in order to prepare mulled wine. All that is expected from you is a little time and patience. The complete procedure for making mulled wine is given below. Just follow the steps and enjoy the toast with your friends and family.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 25-30 minutes
Resources Required:
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One bottle (750 ml) of red wine
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One peeled and sliced orange and lemon
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1/4 cup of brandy
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8-10 cloves
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2/3 cup honey or sugar
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3 cinnamon sticks
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1 tsp fresh or 2 tsp ground ginger
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Serves 4-6
Instructions:
1. Grate the peal from oranges and lemons
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First of all, you need to grate peel from one orange and a lemon with a vegetable peeler such that only the orange part is removed.
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Make sure that none of the bitter white pith is still there. If so, then discard it using a knife. Finally, squeeze the juice into a cup.
2. Put the oranges and the ingredients into the pan
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Now, insert 4 cloves in each of the three oranges and put them into the pan.
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Add the cinnamon sticks and the remaining ingredients.
3. Warm the wine and serve in mugs
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Now, pour the two bottles of red wine into the pan and heat it gently at about 60 degree C.
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Stir the contents of the pan at regular intervals and make sure that it does not boil or it will lose its popular taste and aroma.
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Continue to do so until the wine becomes very hot and starts giving off steams.
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Now, the mulled wine is ready to be served. Take the pan off the flame and serve the mulled wine in glasses or mugs.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What type of mulled wine can be prepared from sugar and honey?
With the use of sugar and honey, we can prepare another alternative mulled wine. This form of mulled wine is for those who appreciate the sweetness in wine. Just add the honey or sugar into the mulled wine, and you will discover totally another flavor of mulled wine. However, you have to make sure that you add only that amount of sugar (or honey) that a person likes, not more that that.
Quick Tips:
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Keep stirring the wine continuously. This way, you can make sure that it does not boil and lose its taste.
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Mulled wine can be prepared from both red wine and white wine. Among red wines, Zinfandel and Merlot are great choices. If you are going for white wine then try Riesling and Viognier.
Things To Watch Out For:
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Do not use an aluminum pan for heating the wine. The acids in the wine can react with the metal which spoils the taste of the wine.
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For heating the wine, you can use a pan made up of ceramic, stainless steel, heatproof glass etc. as these materials do not react with wine.
