Classic Orange and Cinnamon Spiced Mulled Wine
Colder temperatures can be a welcome visitor when you have something to warm up with. Consider this your new favorite warm adult beverage in these frigid winter months. Warm whole spices and sliced orange will quickly make this your new favorite drink.
It’s simple to put together and really lovely when the temperatures are too chilly to have any desire to venture outdoors. Your cozy evenings will feel a bit more delightful with this hot wine recipe on repeat.
While you may associate mulled wine with holiday parties alone, I’d welcome you to bring this into your winter routine. Picture this, it’s eight degrees outside but no concern to you. You’ve got beef stew in the slow cooker and mulled wine warming on the stove. After dinner you enjoy this in glass mugs while watching your favorite movie. The kids are in bed, the house still has some white lights and winter decor up, and it’s quiet for the first time all day.
If it’s Christmas, I’ll have either Little Women or The Holiday on. Other winter months? I may be watching lots of Ina Garten. What’s your pick?
Don’t Complicate It
I think we can complicate the idea of having something like this but really it’s so simple and creates such a wow factor. I love making this for groups because it’s something you’ll want to share. The recipe calls for one bottle, but it can easily be doubled for a crowd at holiday gatherings.
If you are having families over you could always have this in one pot and something like warm apple cider in another pot for the kids. You could put it in a slow cooker or just keep it on simmer or low-medium heat on your stove. A lovely ladle, mugs set out, and you’re all set. I’d recommended labels so your guests know there’s alcohol content involved!
When I’m entertaining anytime, but especially during the Christmas season, I want my guests to feel at home. It’s easy for them to go back and refill their glass with this simple mulled wine recipe. Hosting an open house or New Years Eve gathering? This is the easiest way to have a beverage stocked and ready to be enjoyed!
Jazz it Up
There’s something so pretty about mulled wine with the orange slices studded with cloves. You could also throw in some fresh cranberries making this an even more festive drink. What if you had a sprig of rosemary and additional orange slice in each glass? Now we’re talking about really fancy mugs of hot wine.
I haven’t done this myself, but each Christmas I think about trying out sugared cranberries. That would be really lovely here as well with an orange peel on the edge of each glass.
Simple Ingredients
With a bottle of wine and fresh orange juice you’re on your way. No need to use a very expensive wine bottle here, just something drinkable will do. I’d opt for pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon, but really a merlot would be fine. I would stay away from anything too sweet as you’re adding juice and sugar!
Substitution Ideas
During the holiday season we probably all have plenty of white sugar on hand, cloves, nutmeg and allspice which make up the mulling spices. Trying to avoid white sugar? Try maple syrup or brown sugar instead.
Another lovely substitute would be using apple cider or cranberry juice as it’s sweetness would add to the depth of flavor for your mulled wine. Avoiding wine all together? Use this recipe as a blueprint to warm cranberry juice and apple cider with all these wintery spices.
Recipe Tips
Everyone will love the fresh orange slices studded with cloves, a step you won’t want to miss. If you don’t stud your orange slices with the cloves you risk your guest swallowing whole cloves!
If you want to skip that step you could also put whole spices in some cheese cloth which will work at flavoring the wine without risking the spices going into the glasses. I love using a big dutch oven for this and always am amazed by how beautiful the spiced wine is!
If your simmer isn’t a true simmer, you could also place in a slow cooker on low.
I recommend making it early in the day to really let the flavors meld and then reheating just before guests arrive!
Below I’m sharing a very traditional recipe with added kick if you’d like the up the alcohol content. Note that port, sherry, or brandy are not needed, only added if you’d like more flavor in your warm wine.
Classic Orange and Cinnamon Spiced Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 1 bottle red wine
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 orange sliced
- 2 tbsp whole cloves to use while studding oranges
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ cup brandy, port, or sherry optional
Instructions
- In a large saucepan miix the wine, orange juice, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and sugar
- Slice the orange into 6 slices; stick 2-4 whole cloves in each slice. Add them to the wine.
- Putting the cloves into the orange slices helps so your guests don't eat whole cloves! If you don't do this method, use a cheese cloth for the spices.
- Warm it up, but do not let it boil on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring every now and then so that the sugar can dissolve.
- Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 30-45 minutes
- Before serving, warm it up again, and add the port, sherry, or brandy and mix it in.
