Travel & Lifestyle Blog (2024)

Have you been daydreaming lately about the European Christmas markets and their delicious warm holiday drinks?

Since we won’t be able to visit the beautiful markets and taste all those delicious dishes and drinks this year, I decided to bring a little bit of the markets to you in the form of mulled wine!

Is it really possible to enjoy the same amazing mulled wines you find all over European pubs and markets from the comfort of your home?

I promise it’s not only possible but also easier than you might think! Just follow our delicious recipe below, and you’ll soon be serving everyone at home a glass over the Christmas holidays!

I have spent the holiday/winter season in Europe for the last two years. One of the things I have loved the most during this time is cozying up with a hot glass of mulled wine while the snow falls outside.

Whether you’re at a friend’s home or if you’re lucky enough to have your local pub open, this delicious drink is one of the best ways to stay warm and merry! So this year, I decided to prepare my mulled wine to get into the true Christmas spirit without leaving the living room.

I asked around , tried out a few traditional recipes, and experimented a bit on my own.

I wanted to find a recipe so good that anyone drinking it will instantly feel snug, comfy, and relaxed. I wanted a mulled wine that will truly let people feel the spirit of the holidays. So, here it is!

And honestly, it’s so good that you’ll probably be preparing this recipe well after Christmas and into the cold spring.

My mulled wine ingredients:

Surprisingly, you’ll only need a few simple ingredients to prepare this mulled wine recipe:

• 1 Bottle of red wine

• ¼ cup of liquor or liqueur

• 2 oranges and 1 lemon

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 3 star anise

• 6 cloves

• 4 cardamom pods

• Grated nutmeg, one teaspoon

• Vanilla (either fresh or a few drops of extract)

• honey, pure maple syrup, or brown sugar

Bottle of Wine

We usually use a basic bottle of Merlot. There’s no need to get anything pricey since we’ll cook it anyway! For this recipe, any red wine will work perfectly!

Whiskey or similar liqueur

One of the things most of my favorite European mulled wine recipes have in common is using some extra alcohol to kick things up. I’ve tried recipes that use cognac, brandy, and bourbon, but my favorite lately is adding some Irish whiskey! In the future, I want to try adding rum (that's the Cuban in me!) or different types of liqueurs. Maraschino liqueur, Cointreau, and even Pimm’s would be delicious additions!

Oranges and lemons

I usually use 2 oranges, one of which I’ll thinly slice and cook with the spices, the liqueur, and wine. I’ll also slice the other one but save it as a garnish for the cups. If you love sweeter tastes like me, you can skip the lemon. If you prefer a bit of extra citrus and tart flavor, add a thinly sliced lemon with the wine. You can peel the lemon in the middle before simmering it in the wine to minimize bitterness.

Spices

My spices of choice are cinnamon, star anise, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, and cardamom seeds. But really, you can add any spices that you like! I’ve also tried mulled wine versions with berries and apples, so there's no limit to how creative you can get. The mulled wine recipe varies from household to household and country to country! Remember that in most cases, less is more when adding the spices, and just a bit can go a long way. Otherwise, you may need to add more wine, which isn’t a bad thing!

Honey, Maple syrup or brown sugar

Honey is my favorite sweetener of choice (for this and every drink) and it gives the mulled a naturally sweeter flavor. My vegan friends can substitute with maple syrup! You can also add brown or raw cane sugar instead if you prefer.

Once your ingredients are assembled, making this mulled wine recipe couldn’t be easier! You can even use a slow cooker, although I prefer to use a regular pot on the stovetop. I love the smell of the spices mixing with the wine as I cook it. I feel it adds to the cozy ambiance at home!

You simply need to add all the ingredients to a small pot or saucepan and place over medium heat. For the first few minutes, simply stir and ensure that the ingredients are combined well. The only real key is to make sure it doesn’t boil! If it boils, you’ll lose all of the alcohol from the wine!

After several minutes, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes. The longer you heat the mix, the better the wine will gain the flavor of the spices. You can actually remove the mix from the heat and leave it overnight if you’ve planned ahead.

Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook in low heat. Approximately an hour!

Either way, once ready you’ll want to strain the mixture using a mesh strainer to remove the spices and the fruits. Stir the mulled wine one last time, add a bit more sweetener if desired, pour into cups and top it with your favorite garnishes.

If you let your wine infuse overnight, make sure to gently reheat it over low heat before serving!

You can keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but if you’re like me you will definitely end up finishing off the batch on day one!

Planning ahead tip: You can premake the spice mixture part of the mulled wine recipe, and even add some dry orange slices before storing it in a dry container. It will be ready to go at a moment’s notice. This mulled wine mix is also the perfect Christmas gift for anyone! It’s great to give to coworkers and friends that you normally go to happy hour with. They’ll definitely love it!

Alternative ways to make this mulled wine

I love my classic mulled wine!

But if you want to spice things up a bit, switch the wine, or even go totally alcohol free, these variations might be perfect for you!.

Here are some of my delicious alternative recommendations:

• Fruity Mulled Wine: Switch the cloves for cranberries, blueberries and apples, and skip the cardamom pod while keeping the rest of the mix the same.

• Healthy and Spicy Mulled Wine: One of our favorite versions to do at home! Replace the cloves, cardamom and star anise with turmeric, ginger powder and black peppercorns. It’s spicy and delicious, and it will help you warm up in the cold winter while also boosting your immune system.

• Alcohol free-Mulled Wine: Simply switch the red wine and the liqueur for grapefruit juice and apple juice and keep the rest of the ingredients the same. A kid friendly recipe, perfect for Christmas day!

• White Mulled Wine: This is another one of my favorites ,as I am normally more of white wine kind of girl! Switch the red wine for a dry white wine (I normally use a medium-dry Riesling) and the whiskey for St Germain Elderflower liqueur. Add a splash of orange or grapefruit juice, keep the spices the same, and garnish with lemon slices instead of oranges for a fresher taste!

As an extra tip, I love to pair this mulled wine with some of my favorite dishes and deserts :

• Almond Butter Balls

• Chicken and Orzo Soup

• Healthy and Wholly Fall Salad

Is mulled wine healthy?

You’ll be surprised to learn some of the many potential health benefits that many ingredients in our mulled wine recipe has!

Drinking red wine (in moderation) is actually believed to slow the aging process, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, help boost your immune system, and improve blood flow!

The cinnamon has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, and can contribute to reducing swelling and restoring normal tissue function.

The antioxidants in red wine and in cloves can also help reduce inflammation and promote general cellular health.

The cloves can help increase gut motility and improve your digestion.

Have you tried to make this healthy and delicious mulled wine?

Let us know in the comments what you think!

And don’t forget to Pin It so you have the recipe saved for later.

For a complete list of my personal favorite fall and winter recipes, click here. For more health tips and other recipes, head over to our Wellness section. And if you like this article, make sure to subscribe to our email list to join our group of friends and be the first to hear about new articles and recipes in the future!

Besitos from the kitchen,

Laura