Making your own German gluhwein is quick and not difficult at all. This mulled wine recipe is perfect for a cold winter evening.
What is gluhwein?
German glühwein, or mulled wine, is warm spiced wine.
This winter drink is very popular at German Christmas markets or after a day of skiing, but did you know that you can also make mulled wine very easily at home with this recipe?
Traditional recipes for mulled wine include red wine, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and orange, but feel free to add some extra spices!
Ingredients
Wine - choose a red wine that you normally enjoy drinking as well. If you don't know which one to choose, I recommend a dry red wine like a merlot.
Tip - if you choose a slightly sweeter wine, you can add less sugar.
Spices - I use a cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves in this recipe. A piece of fresh ginger or cardamom is also very nice in this drink!
Orange - citrus fruits like orange give the mulled wine a subtle sweet taste. You can also add a lemon or slices of clementine.
Instructions
Mulled wine is made by slowly heating the wine together with spices and oranges. This allows all the flavors to infuse well into the liquid, and you end up with a deliciously spicy wine.
Make sure the wine does not boil! Then the alcohol will dissipate, and you don't want that.
Ladle the warm mulled wine into glasses and serve immediately. Make sure your glasses can withstand the heat because the wine can be quite hot.
Yes! You can replace the red wine with an alcohol-free wine or grape juice for an alcohol-free drink. The brandy can be left out!
This way, you can enjoy this hot drink even if you can't drink alcohol or if you make this recipe when children are also present!
Equipment
To make mulled wine, you need a large saucepan to heat the wine in. It is also helpful to have a ladle handy to pour it into glasses.
Instead of wine glasses, it is fun to serve this drink in a mug or cup! You also have very nice mugs made of double glass so your drink stays nice and warm.
Storage
You can store this dish in the refrigerator for a few days. Just keep in mind that your spicy flavor does get stronger if you store it longer.
You can also freeze the wine! In the freezer, it will keep for about three months.
To reheat the wine, it is best to heat it in a saucepan after thawing the wine until it comes to a boil.
More beverages to try next
German gluhwein
Ingredients
- 1 bottle red wine
- 1 orange
- 2 star anise
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a large pot and bring it to a boil.
- Let the wine simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Pour it into glasses and serve warm.
This sounds delicious and the perfect cozy drink!
Thank you!