So the season for mulled wine is upon us. Yay! Sadly I am the only one in the house who likes it. Anyone got any recipes and advice on how to do small batches? Obviously I don’t want to keep it on the heat for too long other wise the best bits will evaporate. 🙂

My brother lived in Norway for a few years and he used a cordial that you add to the wine as you warmed it up. Tasted great, easily as good as any other mulled wine/vin chaud i’ve ever had. Perfect for the tipple for one.

Failing that if you really want to make it ‘properly’ can’t you make a bigger batch and freeze the rest into convenient sized containers?

Heat it in a travel kettle?

Either buy a syrup of some sort, or make one – make a batch with a sacrificial bottle of wine, but increase the amount of sugar and spices and make it strong, then reduce it down, store in a sterilised bottle and add that to your wine to mull in small batches – you could probably do a glassful in the microwave if you wanted, you will have to experiment with amounts of syrup per glass.

Comes pre-bottled here. Might be able to get it that way at a German Christmas Market?

If not, then can get it served at the Christmas market. Standing outside in the freezing cold, drinking a nice hot Glühwein, is the only real way imho.

Anything pre-made will be made from the blended dregs from the wine industry though.

We did some sums last year, and worked out that not all that much alcohol burns off.

I make my own cordial and keep in the fridge, then mix with wine and microwave for 30 seconds.

In a pan put in some orange juice, add sugar, a few sticks of cinnamon, some cloves and a bit old spice. Let it simmer for around 20 mins and leave to cool.

If left in a container with a lid, keeps fresh for just under a week 🙂

Leave the spices and some seville orange peel to decoct in vodka or brandy for 24-48 hours, then remove (else it is far too strong flavoured). Store the result in a suitable bottle, will keep for ages. You can also add sugar if you like your mulled wine sweeter.

Add a tot to hot wine and bob’s your uncle – instant flavour plus a nice extra kick.

and a bit old spice

?

Spoke to the mulled wine man at Camden Market on Saturday, he said he used Schwartz mulled wine spices, was very nice too. I’ve since bought some for home use 😀

Have also used Morrisons and M&S pre-bottled which is good, and very easy – just pour out what you want and heat.

Edit – ooh, thats a big packet!

“Mulled” is just another word for “ruined”… 😉

I used to buy this and microwave a cup at a time. Keep the bottle in the fridge after opening.

Gluhwein