Name: Mulled Wine
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 750 ml red wine (merlot, cabernet, red zinfandel, red blend); 6 whole cloves; 3 cinnamon sticks; 3 allspice berries (optional); 3 star anise (optional); 1 orange (sliced); ¼ cup honey (more or less to taste); ¼ cup brandy (optional); cranberries (for garnish); rosemary sprig (for garnish)

Mulled Wine is made with red wine, whole spices, honey, and brandy for a warm drink that’s perfect to sip on throughout the winter season! Ready to enjoy in just 25 minutes!

Close up photo of a glass mug filled with mulled wine garnished with rosemary and orange slice.

Cozy, Spiced Mulled Wine

Mulled Wine combines an inexpensive bottle of red wine with mulling spices, liqueur, and a sweetener like honey! Cozy in with friends and family around a slow cooker of this warm wine as you celebrate the holidays together!

What’s The Difference Between Wine and Mulled Wine?

Classic bottled wine is enjoyed without the addition of spices, citrus, and slow cooking. Whereas Mulled Wine is made by steeping whole spices in red wine while slow cooking over low heat.

The Spiced Wine, or Gluhwein as it’s called in Germany, is a traditional Christmas drink that can be enjoyed everywhere! I think everyone has a specific tradition, dessert, or fragrance that instantly sparks the joy of Christmas for them! And for me, it’s this Mulled Wine!

The aroma alone brings me right back to Christmas time in Europe! Wandering around the cobblestone streets and city squares while the bustling market is in full swing.

Those sparkling Christmas lights, mugs of Mulled Wine, and people carefully choosing a gift for their loved ones instantly fill me with Christmas cheer!

But now I can enjoy all of those memories right at home with my family! AND still enjoy the Mulled Wine thanks to this easy recipe that’s ready in only 25 minutes!

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Straight on photo of two glass mugs of mulled wine on a wooden board with honey and a bottle of wine in the background.

Ingredients For Mulled Wine

To sip on a batch of this Mulled Wine Recipe you’ll start by first selecting the bottle of red wine. It doesn’t have to be top-shelf quality but you also don’t want to reach for the cheapest bottle either.

What Is a Good Wine for Mulled Wine?

I’ve found that the best red wine to use is one that’s full-bodied or is one that has rich spice and berry notes. These types of wine will welcome the added spices and flavors without causing the Mulled Wine to become overly sweet.

Any of the following red wines would be a great addition to the ingredients in this Mulled Wine Recipe:

Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Red Zinfandel
Red Blend

After the bottle of red wine has been chosen, you’ll move on to collecting the spices. Whole spices are used in this recipe instead of ground spices to avoid producing a grainy beverage.

Mulled Wine Spices

Mulled Wine Recipes do vary when it comes to what mulling spices are used! For my recipe, I chose to use whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and star anise.

Since allspice berries and star anise have stronger flavors these can easily be optional ingredients! Other popular mulling spices that can be used are cardamom, nutmeg, or even peppercorn.

To finish off this Mulled Wine Recipe an orange, honey, and brandy are also needed. Then just pour, serve, and garnish each mug of Spiced Wine with cranberries and sprigs of rosemary!

Ingredients to make Mulled Wine on a wooden table.

How To Make Mulled Wine

Combine the wine, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and star anise in a medium saucepan or small Dutch oven.
Add the orange slices carefully. If you’d like you can also add the honey now or wait until serving to do so.
Heat the wine but keep a watchful eye so that it doesn’t simmer. The goal is to bring the wine to temperature while staying just below bubbling.
Ladle the Mulled Wine mixture into mugs and garnish!

How To Serve Mulled Wine

Ladle the Mulled Wine into fun, clear glasses to allow the festive color and garnishes to be shown off! Enjoy your mug of Spiced Wine with:

Appetizers! Warm this Mulled Wine in the crock pot as friends are welcomed into your home with an appetizer to share!
Cheese & Crackers! Blue cheese, aged cheddar, and Gorgonzola match up wonderfully with Mulled Wine!
Desserts! This Spiced Wine pairs great with desserts and good conversation! Once dinner is cleaned up, toss the ingredients for this wine into the slow cooker and pull out the desserts!
Hostess Gift! Carefully nestle the ingredients into a cozy basket and present it to anyone hosting friends and family in their home! Just don’t be surprised when they get to cooking it up right away!

Overhead photo of mulled wine in a small light colored pot with spices and orange slices around it.

Rebecca’s Tips

Make sure not to boil the mulled wine! Doing so will cause the alcohol to evaporate and cause a reduction in the wine. This will result in a mixture that becomes a syrupy consistency.
You could swap the honey out for maple syrup or brown sugar. However, honey is the most traditional sweetener when making a classic Mulled Wine. As the wine is heated, it does take on more of an alcoholic flavor. So you definitely do want to add the sweetener of your choice to help with that flavor.
You can prepare this on the stovetop and then transfer it to a slow cooker to keep warm. You could also make it completely in the slow cooker! To do so I recommend keeping it on low heat and heating it for at least 1 hour before serving.
The brandy is optional. However, if you do want to replace it, you can use bourbon, cognac, or your favorite liqueur.
You can definitely use a non-alcoholic wine to make this recipe or can I recommend trying my Kinder Punch instead.

How To Store Mulled Whine

Pour the Mulled Wine into an airtight container once it has completely cooled. Then store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How To Reheat Mulled Wine

Though reheated Mulled Wine won’t have the same bright flavors as when it was freshly made it’s still quite delicious! To reheat it simply place the leftovers into a small pot or slow cooker.

Then slowly warm it up on low heat while being careful not to boil!

A ladle scooping mulled wine out of a small saucepot.

Here’s a handful of more popular beverage recipes for your parties this season!

Slow Cooker Wassail Drink – Apple cider, juice, brown sugar, and spices slow-cooked together!
Boozy or Not White Hot Chocolate – A sweet dessert-like drink that everyone will love!
Christmas Punch – A recipe that can easily be made alcoholic or not!
Peppermint Chocolate White Russian Cocktail – Made with vodka, Kahlua, and peppermint schnapps!
Sparkling Holiday Punch – This non-alcoholic punch combines Hawaiian punch, orange juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, and pineapple juice!

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let leave a review in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos, or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there.