Delicious and easy mulled wine recipe perfect for the holiday season

A delicious and super easy mulled wine recipe that is perfect for Christmas parties and will make your house smell festive with no effort

Mulled wine is a warm, spiced, alcoholic drink and a staple of the Christmas season.

Mulled wine was born in Europe, where you can still find at Christmas markets as a warming beverage of choice, but it has grown in popularity so much, you now find it pretty much anywhere you find a ‘white Christmas’.

In Germany, it is known as Glühwein; in Sweden, you find it as glögg; here in Ireland and in the UK you usually find is as mulled wine: no matter how we call it, though, we all make it the same way, a way that makes it warm, soothing, enveloping and oh-so deliciously smelling.

Mulled wine is an aromatic drink that combines red wine, citrus fruit, sugar or honey, and spices.

I love making it for Christmas and I use my loyal Dutch oven to make, which works amazing for this recipe and keeps it warm with no effort. However, if you don’t have one, don’t worry! Any large pan can do!

Nice to know: Mulled Wine has a strong festive smell that will permeate your house making it smell super festive naturally.

Mulled wine ingredients

• One bottle of red wine – do not use your best bottle! You want a decent wine but the taste will be altered to such an extent by the spices, you don’t want to waste a great wine for a recipe that comes out great also with a more basic, cheaper one
• 1 orange, sliced (plus extra slices for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons of honey (or more to taste) or sugar – I like honey as I feel it adds depth to the taste
• 6 whole cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks (plus extra for garnish)
• 3 Star anise

Method

1. Prepare the Base:
   In your Dutch oven (or large pot), combine the red wine, orange, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise. Heat gently.
2. Sweeten:
   Stir in the honey: I recommend you add one small spoonful first, then taste and add as needed. Add the honey when your mixture is warm as it will help melt it fast (instead of dropping to the bottom of the pot and stick terribly to it, which tends to happen if the liquid is cold!)
3. Let it cook:
   Let it cook on low heat and let the wine simmer on low for 10–15 minutes to allow the spices and orange to infuse.
4. Taste and Adjust:
   Taste the mulled wine and adjust the sweetness or spice level as needed. This is very much not a rigid recipe, you can experiment with more of anything to your taste.
5. Strain and Serve:
   Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the wine to remove the spices and orange slices.
6. Garnish and Enjoy:
   Serve the mulled wine warm in heatproof glasses or mugs. Garnish with a fresh slice of orange and a cinnamon stick for an extra festive touch.

Serving Suggestion

Since mulled wine is so seasonal, it goes amazing with Christmas party favorites such as spiced cookies, chestnuts or Christmas cake!

Easy Dutch Oven Mulled Wine Recipe: pin this!