Pessimists see only slush and vitamin D deficiency in autumn, and ice and cold winds in winter. We associate these seasons with friendly gatherings at home: drinking mulled wine that we made ourselves, warming up and discussing the latest news.
Natural dry wine is a storehouse of useful substances. Out of habit, we remember only its aromatic and alcoholic components. But as soon as we catch a cold or freeze to the bones on the street, we remember the hot interpretation of wine - .
“Flaming Wine” has pronounced antiviral and antimicrobial activity. The healing properties of mulled wine appear only with moderate consumption. Our conversation today is about how to drink mulled wine correctly and how to determine the line between its benefits and harm.
In winter, we fill our glasses with drinks of stronger, richer flavors: coffee with cognac, hot chocolate with rum or mulled wine based on hot red wine.
Mulled wine is drunk immediately after preparation - wine with spices cannot be reheated. A cooled cocktail, like one that was mistakenly allowed to boil, irreversibly loses its taste, aroma, strength and beneficial properties.
Sommeliers from Germany give a clear answer:
“Mulled wine is drunk hot, immediately after preparation! When the hot drink is poured into cups, the spices in the wine ignite the inner fire, boost immunity and save you from the seasonal blues. If you let the mulled wine cool down, you will get sour wine instead of a tonic alcoholic drink that saves you from hypothermia.”
Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic mulled wine are drunk slowly, carefully and in small sips. First, they inhale the hot vapors and only then, after sipping, enjoy the depth of its spicy taste.
Serving temperature is approximately 70 degrees.
The storage time of red mulled wine in a thermos is limited. After two hours, the taste of the wine will be distorted and it will “suffocate.”
Instead of a thermos, thermal mugs with non-spill lids are often used. The metal mug has double walls. The outer walls of such dishes do not heat up, you will not get burned, and the inner walls retain heat well. Drinking mulled wine from a thermos cup is very pleasant - the wine does not cool down for a long time.
There are no strict rules for drinking the most democratic of all hot alcoholic cocktails. If mulled wine is brewed at home, then they drink it from the dishes that they already have. If you want to taste comfortably, buy tall glass glasses with a handle (like for a latte) or massive ceramic mugs in advance. In the latter, mulled wine remains warm longer and creates that same fabulous mood.
Attention! Mulled wine is drunk after hypothermia, and as a means to prevent colds, and not to treat the flu. Yes, if you have a mild cold, you can drink a cup of warm mulled wine at night, but if you have a very high temperature, it is better to consult your doctor.
Mulled wine should not be drunk by pregnant women, children, or while being treated with antibiotics.
It’s even undesirable on the eve of going outside in sub-zero temperatures. Alcohol, honey, ginger, which are included in the cocktail, warm up the body, restore internal strength, but do not prepare it to face the frost. The body, warmed by a strong drink, is subjected to an invisible attack in the cold: the blood vessels dilated by alcohol are greatly narrowed by the cold. The waves of warmth that spread so pleasantly over a relaxed body after a cup of mulled wine at home are quickly replaced by chills and trembling.
Preparing and then drinking mulled wine in the fresh air (in nature) is a very colorful process. But how safe and useful is it? Drinking hot food on a frosty street leads to intense sweating. Make sure that your winter suit consists of several warm “layers”. Then, if you are blown by a cold winter wind, you will not get a cold, but will warm up well.
The main cause of frequent “colds” is simple hypothermia. After a long walk, warmed up wine with the addition of aromatic spices increases stability and increases the weakened body’s resistance to pathogenic microbes.
Abuse of even such a healthy drink as mulled wine (unless it is non-alcoholic) causes many undesirable consequences. Let’s not blame the alcohol contained in natural wine for this. Let us remember that starting to take any medicine from a pharmacy without carefully studying the attached instructions is also dangerous. Some tablets are addictive, almost all cause acute poisoning if the specified dose is significantly exceeded.
It's the same with hot wine. The benefits of mulled wine appear only with moderate consumption. How much can you drink? From a medical point of view, if you drink a glass of mulled wine every evening, such a dose will be considered moderate. Drinking more than 200 grams per day of mulled wine prepared with wine and water is not recommended. Especially if there is a genetic predisposition to alcoholism in the family. Large doses of hot wine immediately have the opposite effect.
Glühwein means “hot wine” in German. The name itself suggests the use of grape wine in the recipe, i.e. alcoholic drink. But, discarding linguistics, non-alcoholic mulled wine was invented, which warms just as well and tastes pleasant. It is most often drunk by those who are going to drive a car, for whom red wine causes migraines or, worse, allergies and asthma. Glasses of aromatic non-alcoholic glühwein are offered to spectators in the stands during sports competitions or outdoor concerts in winter.
To prepare you will need:
The fruit drink is heated over a fire in a heat-resistant container. Add cloves, apples cut into strips, cinnamon, and zest without pulp to the warm but not yet hot liquid. The drink is allowed to warm up, but not allowed to boil.
Nutmeg quickly loses its aroma. In grated form, it is added to mulled wine immediately before serving.
Over the centuries-old history of drinking mulled wine, etiquette has developed, which is pleasant and beneficial for health. But nowhere is there a word about how to drink ready-made mulled wine in bottles. It is sold cold in glass containers or tetrapacks. How to warm it up? If after the mulled wine has cooled down you can’t drink it and heat it up?
In addition, bottled mulled wine is relatively cheaper. Could it really cost a penny? The low price is another confirmation that not natural ingredients were added to the drink, but most likely powdered wine, flavorings and dyes.
Bottled mulled wine (even if you find the best and most expensive one) is an anomaly in usefulness. Don't waste your money and your health in vain. Only the one brewed in front of you can be called a real gluwein drink.
In a restaurant or cafe, mulled wine is most often drunk without any snacks. But there are no rules prohibiting serving it with desserts or even main courses. Dry red mulled wine goes well with meat and poultry dishes. Substances contained in wine reduce the number of fat cells in the body, protect against metabolic disorders, obesity and promote rapid digestion of food.
An important point about how and with what to drink mulled wine lies in the place in which you “warm up” and in the ingredients that went into the drink with hot wine.
Don’t ask restaurateurs and technologists how to drink mulled wine, lest you hear a lot of unnecessary and completely different recommendations. Drink mulled wine hot, immediately after removing from heat. Don't rush, but don't let it cool down either. Snack on what you want and what most harmonizes with the spices you added to the wine.
No matter how we feel about autumn and winter, they will still come with calendar inevitability. It is much easier to put up with “seasonal” gifts in the form of colds, runny nose and cough in the company of a pair of woolen socks, a warm blanket and delicious mulled wine. Have you already chosen your favorite recipe?
Mulled wine is a hot wine drink with spices and pieces of fruit, with an unforgettable sweetish taste and spicy aroma. No wonder it is also called the drink of autumn, “flaming wine”.
It’s so nice to sit comfortably in a chair with a glass in your hands when a piercing wind is blowing outside the window and the sky is overcast. Mulled wine will give you a good mood even on the stormiest day.
We’ll talk about the rules of serving, consumption, preparation nuances, as well as the best snacks to accompany the drink in this article.
Hot wine with spices, which is mulled wine, has a rich and long history. Even in ancient Rome, there were analogues to the modern drink, which doctors prescribed to patients, since in those days wine was a much safer drink than ordinary water.
Due to its low alcohol content, the drink has a warming effect and tonic properties, and is an excellent remedy for colds and hypothermia.
Mulled wine is especially popular in countries with cold climates - in Scandinavia and Northern European countries. But in Russia this drink is no less in demand.
This is interesting: Usually prepared mulled wine has a strength of 7-12%. The percentage of alcohol content largely depends on the strength of the main ingredient - red / white wine, as well as the technology for preparing the drink. The strength of the finished mulled wine can also be increased through the use of various additives: cognac, vodka, brandy.
Due to its long history and wide geographical popularity, mulled wine has many variations in preparation.
You can prepare delicious and aromatic mulled wine at home, and this process is very interesting and exciting. To begin with, it is important to decide on the basis of mulled wine, namely, buy the right wine.
It could be:
All these wines are perfect for making homemade mulled wine.
If you opt for a higher-priced wine, you don’t have to add other alcohol to the mulled wine. If the choice fell on more budget options, you can “flavor” the drink with cognac or brandy. Fortified alcohol will make the taste of mulled wine even more noble and rich.
Please note: You should not use sweet or semi-sweet wines as the basis for making mulled wine, they will make the drink too sugary.
Fruits and spices give the wine an unusual taste and aroma, making it mulled wine, such as:
Complete the drink with slices of apples, oranges, honey, raisins, and nuts. Lime juice will add pleasant notes of light sourness to mulled wine.
Please note: When preparing homemade mulled wine, do not allow it to boil. The temperature of the finished drink should not exceed 70 degrees.
So, to prepare mulled wine according to the classic recipe, take:
If desired, you can add 100 ml of cognac.
Preparation:
Serving mulled wine is a whole ceremony; it can set the mood of the entire evening, feast or party. The most important thing is the temperature of the drink. Mulled wine is drunk immediately after preparation..
Pour the drink into tall transparent glasses (preferably with thick walls) with handles - they will keep it warm longer. If there are none, you can use regular ceramic cups.
Hot wine is especially pleasant to drink in autumn or winter. Since mulled wine is a self-sufficient drink and does not stimulate the appetite, it can be served instead of dessert. However, it is important to remember that despite the fact that the wine was heated, mulled wine contains degrees, so the drink is contraindicated for pregnant women.
In order to get the desired effect from “flaming wine”, namely to warm up, improve your mood and relax, one or two glasses per evening are enough.
This amount is due to the fact that, firstly, heated wine causes intoxication faster than cold wine. And secondly, the spices that were used in its preparation, and the substances that got into the drink when heated, must be dosed wisely. Therefore, drinking mulled wine in large quantities, like any other alcoholic drink, is not recommended.
Take note: if you have a cold, drink hot wine in small sips, this will help relieve your cough. But do not exceed the amount of 1-2 glasses per day, otherwise the effect will be the opposite of the desired one - instead of improving your condition, you will get drowsiness and headache.
Mulled wine is a drink in its own right. However, you can also serve it with snacks. Fruits would be a good addition:
Mulled wine is also eaten with small pieces of berry and fruit pies, for example, pear, apple or currant, ginger cookies. The main rule is that the baked goods are not too sweet.
“Flaming wine” is perfect for grilled dishes. Cheese or fondue can also be an excellent appetizer for a drink.
It is best to store mulled wine in a thermos so that it remains hot for a long time.
Being a warming drink, mulled wine is very common at Christmas markets in Europe. Thanks to the spices, the drink will perfectly highlight the taste of fried poultry, lamb and pork, ham or game.
The French, for example, love the combination of mulled wine - hard cheese, mulled wine and fruit. The Germans snack on this drink with cakes, and the Dutch with crumpets and donuts.
Italians' favorite appetizer for this drink is mustaccioli.. You can try making these crispy macaroons yourself from a dough that contains honey, wine, spices, fruits and nuts.
In stores you can buy ready-made mulled wine in bottles. The main feature of a purchased drink is that it can be consumed immediately.
Whether or not to drink such mulled wine is up to you, but it is unlikely to compare with a “cozy” homemade drink that you can prepare yourself, based on your personal preferences.
From this video You will learn how to prepare mulled wine and cheese fondue as a snack for a drink:
How to drink and prepare mulled wine at home?
Europeans were the first to drink mulled wine in the 18th century. Even then, they fantasized and created unusual recipes for a wide variety of mulled wines.
I must say that punch was originally invented. Punch is an alcoholic drink that contains fruit juice, rum, wine, honey (sugar), cinnamon (or cloves). Recipes for making punch are very diverse; everyone can have their own; it is absolutely not necessary to follow the proportions or number of ingredients. Mulled wine is a type of punch.
Mulled wine (gluhende wein, German - flaming wine) is heated, diluted wine to which various spices and fruits have been added. The drink, which warms the body and soul, is especially wonderful in winter. Let's talk about the mysterious drink in more detail. What is it, how to make mulled wine yourself, is it difficult and what is necessary? How to drink mulled wine, are there any special rules? What is mulled wine served with?
It is believed that you need to drink this drink in the cold season, since you need to drink ready-made mulled wine, as they say, when it’s hot, i.e. hot.
It is customary to drink ready-made mulled wine after meals, because... it does not stimulate appetite. The drink is usually served after dinner instead of dessert.
Preparation of mulled wine does not take much time; it is most often prepared from red wine.
Making mulled wine at home is not that difficult. The most important thing is that this drink should not boil during preparation. Otherwise, the taste and smell will be completely different from what they should be. At the end of preparation, the temperature of the drink should not exceed 70 degrees.
To prepare mulled wine we will need: 750 grams of red table wine (white is also possible, but red is better), 7 cloves, add nutmeg to taste, 50 grams of water, 1 tbsp. Sahara. This is a classic drink recipe. You can come up with your own recipe; many people add lemon zest or lemon, fruits (slices of apple, orange, tangerine), other spices (cinnamon, cardamom, coriander) and even strong alcoholic drinks in very small doses. They give a special subtle taste to mulled wine.
So, directly how to brew mulled wine. Pour crushed nutmeg and cloves into a Turk, add water, bring this mixture to a boil, then cook for one minute over low heat. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Now pour the wine into a saucepan and put it on the fire, heat it up a little and immediately pour in the infusion of cloves and nuts, add sugar.
Right? The secret is not to overexpose it on the fire, to remove it in time when it just gets hot. Immediately after preparation, the drink is poured into cups or poured into a teapot, preferably ceramic. I will add that mulled wine is not heated several times, it is prepared and drunk immediately. This is the only way you will experience a real bouquet of taste.
We now know how to make mulled wine, and it is also important to know that the drink is useful for infectious diseases, mental disorders and physical ailments, and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. During periods of illness or malaise, mulled wine is drunk in small portions. One or two glasses are enough to warm you up and relieve a cough during a cold, but a large dose will only aggravate the condition with drowsiness and headaches.
The healthiest of all mulled wines is considered to be mulled wine, which was prepared using juice and fruits.
This drink is universal. It is suitable for a warm company of friends in the winter at the dacha, when there is snow and frost outside, and for a romantic meeting in a cozy cafe. The drink will warm you up and promote an intimate conversation between two lovers. During illness, it will not only help you recover, but also lift your spirits.
Although drinking hot wine was invented in Europe, in Russia in ancient times there was an analogue of mulled wine - sbiten. It was quite difficult and time-consuming to prepare. First, a mixture was prepared from honey, hops, spices and water. This mixture was boiled, then yeast was added and left to ferment. Only after this was it possible to get shot down. To do this, water was added and heated over a fire. It was poured into wooden glasses and consumed as a cure for many adversities and as an independent alcoholic drink.
Mulled wine is truly an amazing and self-sufficient drink. On the one hand, you can drink it without any snacks. On the other hand, it can be served with equal success along with the main hot dish. Plus, it goes great with dessert.
If you opt for a higher-priced wine, you don’t have to add other alcohol to the mulled wine. If the choice fell on more budget options, you can “flavor” the drink with cognac or brandy. Fortified alcohol will make the taste of mulled wine even more noble and rich.
Please note: You should not use sweet or semi-sweet wines as the basis for making mulled wine, they will make the drink too sugary.
Fruits and spices give the wine an unusual taste and aroma, making it mulled wine, such as:
Complete the drink with slices of apples, oranges, honey, raisins, and nuts. Lime juice will add pleasant notes of light sourness to mulled wine.
Please note: When preparing homemade mulled wine, do not allow it to boil. The temperature of the finished drink should not exceed 70 degrees.
So, to prepare mulled wine according to the classic recipe, take:
If desired, you can add 100 ml of cognac.
Preparation:
Serving mulled wine is a whole ceremony; it can set the mood of the entire evening, feast or party. The most important thing is the temperature of the drink. Mulled wine is drunk immediately after preparation..
Pour the drink into tall transparent glasses (preferably with thick walls) with handles - it will stay warm in them longer. If there are none, you can use regular ceramic cups.
Hot wine is especially pleasant to drink in autumn or winter. Since mulled wine is a self-sufficient drink and does not stimulate the appetite, it can be served instead of dessert. However, it is important to remember that despite the fact that the wine was heated, mulled wine contains degrees, so the drink is contraindicated for pregnant women.
In order to get the desired effect from “flaming wine”, namely to warm up, improve your mood and relax, one or two glasses per evening are enough.
This amount is due to the fact that, firstly, heated wine causes intoxication faster than cold wine. And secondly, the spices that were used in its preparation, and the substances that got into the drink when heated, must be dosed wisely. Therefore, drinking mulled wine in large quantities, like any other alcoholic drink, is not recommended.
Take note: if you have a cold, drink hot wine in small sips, this will help relieve your cough. But do not exceed the amount of 1-2 glasses per day, otherwise the effect will be the opposite of the desired one - instead of improving your condition, you will get drowsiness and headache.
Mulled wine is a drink in its own right. However, you can also serve it with snacks. Fruits would be a good addition:
Mulled wine is also eaten with small pieces of berry and fruit pies, for example, pear, apple or currant, ginger cookies. The main rule is that the baked goods are not too sweet.
“Flaming wine” is perfect for grilled dishes. Cheese or fondue can also be an excellent appetizer for a drink.
It is best to store mulled wine in a thermos so that it remains hot for a long time.
Being a warming drink, mulled wine is very common at Christmas markets in Europe. Thanks to the spices, the drink will perfectly highlight the taste of fried poultry, lamb and pork, ham or game.
The French, for example, love the combination of mulled wine - hard cheese, mulled wine and fruit. The Germans snack on this drink with cakes, and the Dutch with crumpets and donuts.
Italians' favorite appetizer for this drink is mustaccioli.. You can try making these crispy macaroons yourself from a dough that contains honey, wine, spices, fruits and nuts.
In stores you can buy ready-made mulled wine in bottles. The main feature of a purchased drink is that it can be consumed immediately.
Whether or not to drink such mulled wine is up to you, but it is unlikely to compare with a “cozy” homemade drink that you can prepare yourself, based on your personal preferences.
From this video You will learn how to prepare mulled wine and cheese fondue as a snack for a drink:
Mulled wine is a warming drink made from heated dry red wine with the addition of aromatic spices and other ingredients. The hot drink has strong antiviral, warming and antimicrobial properties. And its spicy aroma and taste will always remind you of the wonderful winter season. The important point is that such winter nectar can be easily prepared at home. There are a few rules for getting the most out of a hot wine drink at home.
Spicy mulled wine is a hot alcoholic drink that should be consumed during the cold season, as well as during colds. Therefore, the aromatic drink is perfect for winter and autumn evenings with seven or friends. When consumed in moderation, it is very effective in combating cough, runny nose, and flu. has an effective tonic property. Helps with insomnia, restores vitality, and is also indispensable for hypothermia.
When consuming a drink, the temperature at which it is served is important. To preserve all the beneficial substances during cooking, mulled wine should never boil. The main thing is not to keep the wine on the fire for a long time, otherwise the result will be ordinary hot wine instead of a tonic drink. The heating temperature should be no more than 70 degrees. The wine should be heated in a heat-resistant container until the white foam that appears at the beginning of cooking completely disappears.
Prepared mulled wine is served and drunk hot, literally immediately after it is removed from the heat. This is done so that it does not have time to cool and lose its taste and beneficial properties. It is recommended to immediately pour the hot drink into cups and drink slowly, taking small sips.
Mulled wine is a fairly common wine drink, during the preparation of which you can experiment with taste and create your own original nectar. But those who don’t like to tinker with the preparation process for a long time can easily buy already ready-made mulled wine, bottled. There are several options for heating and serving mulled wine from a bottle:
Typically, mulled wine is drunk immediately after preparation, since dry red wine with spices cannot be reheated. A cooled drink is like boiled wine, which immediately loses its beneficial properties and refined taste.
The hot wine drink is drunk in massive ceramic mugs or tall tulip-shaped glasses with a short stem. This glass is made of heat-resistant glass with a volume of 240 to 320 ml. created specifically to serve strong drinks: grog, hot apple cider, coffee punch, latte, Irish coffee, and mulled wine.
When preparing mulled wine, you must carefully monitor the spice content in the wine material. The heating temperature of the wine should not exceed 75C. Wine and spices must be absorbed and give each other their tastes in order for the drink to be as healthy and warming as possible.
For a warming drink that can be drunk not only with wine, you need:
The spices can be boiled for a couple of minutes in a small amount of fruit juice or water, carefully covered, and allowed to brew. And then mix with wine or juice. Lemon zest, orange zest, raisins, pieces of apples and fresh ginger are also added to this drink. Honey is added at the last moment.
Spicy mulled wine is the most popular among winter warming drinks. A warm and soothing drink will be a great addition for both a loud party and a cozy family evening. A glass of aromatic mulled wine will instantly lift your spirits and warm your soul and body on a cold evening.
Now do you understand how to drink mulled wine and under what conditions? Leave your opinion or feedback for everyone on the forum.
Walking on a cool autumn or winter evening somewhere in Vienna, you are sure to come across many cafes offering a cup of mulled wine. This delicious old-fashioned red wine-based hot drink perfectly warms you up in cold weather, restores vitality, and saturates you with concentrated summer warmth and a thick spicy aroma. A cup of mulled wine in the company of old friends - what could be better for a pleasant conversation...
Mulled wine - German. gluhende wein - flaming wine, is just a modern designation for a drink with a rich history. The roots of this drink go back to ancient times, namely, to the time when the ancient Romans began to mix wine with seasonings to better preserve it and give the wine a “noble” taste. In a 2000-year-old cookbook written by the Roman citizen Alicits, one can find descriptions of preparing a drink from wine with the addition of cinnamon, cloves, thyme, coriander and bay leaves. At that time, spices were very expensive, and only a few residents of Rome could afford such wine. In cookbooks of the 16th century, recipes for making mulled wine based on Bordeaux and claret begin to appear. Honey, cinnamon, cardamom and galingal herb are mentioned as the main components. The last component is quite interesting for its invigorating properties. Robert May's book, published in 1660, suggests mixing a gallon of dry red wine, 3 ounces of cinnamon, 2 ounces of ginger, 14 ounces of cloves, 1 ounce of nutmeg husks, 20 black peppercorns, 3 pounds of sugar and 2 quarts of cream.
Over time, the basis of the mulled wine recipe crystallized and acquired exactly the framework in which a modern hot drink is now prepared. The basis of any mulled wine is dry red wine (preferably ordinary and inexpensive), water, sugar, nutmeg, and cloves. Of course, the masters of making mulled wine do not limit the list of spices, and often it includes: lemon, orange or their zest, dried fruits, cinnamon, star anise, pepper, anise, honey, apple pieces and various fruit juices.
The main beauty of making mulled wine is that if you follow just a few rules, you can endlessly experiment with additives, types of wine and methods of preparing it. Mulled wine encourages the most unexpected ideas, the main thing is that you feel the properties of the components and imagine them in the future drink. Of course, not every spice or combination of them will create an unsurpassed drink, but it makes it all the more interesting to prepare - because it’s impossible to make a mistake! Mulled wine is always the joy of improvisation, something that is sometimes so lacking in an orderly daily life and that so organically colors an early autumn or winter evening. Citrus fruits sometimes just ask to be added to a drink, as a memory of hot days, as a desire to see the sun and welcome spring. And sometimes you want to immerse yourself in the thick aroma of oriental spices, dream, or simply create the mood for a good evening.
Mulled wine is very easy to prepare, but does not tolerate haste or inattention. Just 10-15 minutes and the drink is ready. You can treat your friends or a casual acquaintance. Climb your feet up onto the sofa, cover yourself with a blanket, and quietly sip mulled wine, immerse yourself in pleasant memories. In cool and sunny weather in the Swiss Alps, where sporty Europeans and tourists simply wanting to get some fresh air ski all winter, you are sure to come across a stall offering aromatic, freshly prepared mulled wine. This combination is simply impossible to refuse: mountains, sun, clean air and the aroma of spicy wine.
But it’s good to move from poetics to practice. To prepare mulled wine, you will first need wine. Its quantity determines the number of persons or personal needs. Don't try to make too much mulled wine. Remember that 1-2 glasses will be good for you, they will warm you up and lift your spirits, but 3-4 glasses can already bring fatigue and a morning headache. The simplest table wine is best. If you are bored with its usual taste, try adding a little brandy, cognac or rum, but only just a little. Or, for a change, you can make mulled wine using good expensive wine.
Water is also important. It’s best if it’s spring water, but any bottled one will do, as long as it’s not “from the tap.” There should be little water - about a glass for every liter of wine.
Spices are selected individually in each specific case. There is a certain generally accepted set, without which no mulled wine can do. These are sugar, cloves and cinnamon. In addition to them, cardamom, anise, honey, red and black peppercorns, nutmeg, slices of dried orange, lemon or apple can be added to mulled wine (in general, you can add a variety of dried fruits). Some of these components are interchangeable, for example, cardamom can replace the citrus part, because the aroma of cardamom has a lemon-eucalyptus taste. Ginger has a warming effect, and it also adds some spice to the drink. Ginger can be replaced with peppers (in small quantities). It is allowed to add pieces of fresh fruit and citrus fruits to mulled wine. If you choose to add lime instead of lemon, remember that lime is more pungent and should be added with caution. If the wine is dry, add sugar or honey. It is better to mix the latter into the drink at the very end of preparation.
Spices in mulled wine act as substances that complement the aroma of wine, so it is important not to overwhelm the wine aroma, but to complement it, to create a certain composition from which nothing stands out and everything together “sounds” like a good jazz band.
The most important element in preparing mulled wine is the heating temperature, or rather the cooking temperature. The basic principle is to never let the drink boil or even just heat above the required temperature. The optimal temperature for mulled wine is 70°C, perhaps a little more. Do not over-expose the mulled wine, you should not bring it to the point of “pre-boiling”, it is better to under-expose it a little.
The basic procedure is as follows. Add cloves and nutmeg to the Turk, add a little water (a glass or less) and cook for about a minute. Then the broth should sit for about 10 minutes. At this time, pour wine into a fireproof glass or ceramic container (avoid metal) and put on fire. Pour the contents of the Turka into the already heated wine, making sure that no sediment gets in. Stir. Add sugar and stir again. Add remaining ingredients. It’s better to take cinnamon in sticks rather than ground, this will eliminate the cloudiness of the drink. Next, bring over low heat to the desired temperature (70°C) and pour hot into cups or glasses.
There are several variations on how to achieve a richer taste. Firstly, you can heat it over low heat for a very long time, secondly, heat it quickly enough and let it brew, while not allowing it to cool, thirdly, make a richer spice syrup by boiling and infusing it in a pot for a little longer. If you prefer quick heating and infusion, then keep in mind that the white part in citrus slices gives bitterness during prolonged infusion, so in this case it is wiser to use only the zest, separating it from the white parts and separately orange or lemon pulp.
After preparing the mulled wine, pour it and drink it immediately. Don't let it cool down. Cooled mulled wine will certainly disappoint you with its lack of taste and aroma. Do not reheat mulled wine - unfortunately, all the magic of a fresh drink completely disappears when reheated.
It is best to serve mulled wine in tall and narrow glass glasses or glasses, with pieces of fruit floating at the bottom. You can also pour it into ceramic cups, as they did in the old days, and even into mugs. Mulled wine is best tasted in transparent containers. It is possible, and sometimes even very good, to take mulled wine with you in a thermos. Use a thermos with a glass flask and do not forget to remove the lemon so that it does not become bitter when left in the thermos for a very long time. As a snack, you can serve dry cookies, a piece of charlotte or other pie, or fruit. In Holland it is customary to serve crumpets or donuts with mulled wine, in Germany - cakes. In general, appetizers provide as much freedom for improvisation as the drink itself.
Mulled wine recipes are like stars in the sky. I will give a few as guidelines - any of these recipes can be transformed and changed according to your tastes and preferences.
Mulled wine recipes
Mulled wine (Recipe No. 1)
Ingredients:
bottle of red wine (0.75 l),
400 g water,
100 g sugar,
5 g cinnamon,
10 g cloves,
100 g cognac,
a piece of lemon.
Preparation:
Pour wine into a fireproof glass container, heat it a little, add sugar. Stir. Add cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a temperature of 70°C. Let stand for a few minutes. Pour in cognac and pour into preheated glasses.
Mulled wine (Recipe No. 2)
Ingredients:
a bottle of semi-dry red wine,
3 tbsp. l. Sahara,
orange,
3 slices of lemon,
apple,
1 tbsp. l. honey,
5-6 cloves,
1/2 cinnamon stick,
3-4 peas of allspice,
5-6 spicy red peppers,
2/3 teaspoon nutmeg,
1 teaspoon cardamom,
1 tbsp. water.
Preparation:
Heat water in a glass fireproof bowl, add pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook intensively for 5 minutes, then reduce the flame and pour in the wine. Add sugar and stir. Add chopped orange and lemon. Continue heating the mixture to 70°C or even a little more. Then remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes. Add a spoonful of honey, stir and pour into glasses. Make sure that everyone gets a slice of citrus fruit in their glass.
Mulled wine (Recipe No. 3)
Ingredients:
1 bottle of semi-sweet red wine,
6-7 carnation flowers,
4-5 peas of allspice,
1/2 teaspoon (or 18 whole nuts) nutmeg,
1 cinnamon stick,
12 oranges,
12 glasses of water.
Preparation:
Pour water over the cloves, nutmeg and pepper, bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Turn off the flame and let sit for 10-15 minutes. At this time, pour the wine into the cooking container and gradually heat it. Then pour in the previously prepared mixture, add sugar, stir and bring to 70°C. Remove from heat and pour into glasses.
Mulled wine (Recipe No. 4)
Ingredients:
1/2 bottle of red wine,
2 cups of natural coffee,
150 g sugar,
100 g cognac.
Preparation:
Pour the wine into the bowl, heat it up, pour in 2 cups of strong coffee, add sugar, stir, bring the resulting temperature to 70°C, pour in the cognac. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Pour into glasses.
Mulled wine (Recipe No. 5)
Ingredients:
1/2 liter of dry red wine,
80 g raisins,
100 g sugar,
10 carnation flowers,
4 star anise fruits,
1/2 cinnamon stick,
1 lemon,
1/2 apple.
Preparation:
Heat the wine in a heatproof glass container, add raisins, cloves, anise and cinnamon. Stir and add sugar. Stir again and add lemon and apple cut into small slices. Bring the mixture to 70°C and let sit for a couple of minutes. Pour into clear glasses, tall glasses or mugs. Don't forget the lemon and apple pieces in each glass!
Alexey Borodin
