Mulled wine translated from German - "flaming wine." Indeed, it is really an alcoholic drink based on wine, which is served only hot.
Not everyone knows how to cook mulled wine at home.
It is customary to use it in the Scandinavian countries, at various ski resorts.
The drink is relevant mainly in the winter. Not so long ago, it became widespread in our latitudes.
In the article, we will consider how to cook mulled wine at home, the history of its appearance, as well as how healthy or harmful it is for the body.
Appearance story
The first mention of the drink appeared in ancient Rome. Red wine, which was mixed with various spices, was especially popular. The difference was that the drink was not heated.
And already in the form in which we know it, mulled wine appeared only in the Middle Ages in the countries of Northern Europe. At that time, mulled wine was made from wines such as Bordeaux or Claret. It was heated and galangal grass was added.
Rules for making a hot drink
Before you cook mulled wine at home, you need to decide on the choice of ingredients.
The right choice of ingredients is the key to the success of a delicious strong drink.
To prepare a delicious mulled wine at home, it is best to use purchased wine. Homemade will not do. It can be either red or white.
Specialists advise using a different wine each time. You can also add any other alcohol such as bourbon or cognac. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the drink will be much stronger. It is slightly different from the classic mulled wine recipe at home.
In some recipes, non-carbonated purified water is present.
You can cook from both dry and fortified wine. In the first case, add honey (best at the end).
The choice of spices is another important aspect in the preparation of a strong drink. When adding spices, try to use different ones so that they do not overlap with each other and do not interrupt the taste of wine.
Various mulled wine recipes use fruits and citrus fruits at home.
Another option is a non-alcoholic hot wine drink.
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic mulled wine recipe at home will be considered below.
Another important point is compliance with the temperature regime.
When making mulled wine with a prescription at home, make sure that the drink does not overheat. It is important not to bring it to a boil so that its temperature does not exceed 70 degrees.
Flaming Wine Set
For cooking according to any mulled wine recipe at home, you can use ready-made sets of spices, which are now sold in almost every supermarket. This greatly simplifies the task.
Do not forget about the right choice of equipment. You will need any pan other than the one made of stainless steel, a ladle for pouring the drink, and a wooden spatula for stirring it.
In addition to all of the above, you will need special dishes for serving hot wine. It can be a special glass mug, which is also used to serve various coffee cocktails. If this is not, it can be replaced with an ordinary wine glass.
How to choose a wine
Before talking about how to cook mulled wine at home and about its recipes, let’s try to learn how to choose the right wine.
In general, you can make a drink from any wine. In order to make it tasty (as many fans say), the main thing is to add the right spices, honey and fruits.
According to experts, dry wine is best for preparing real mulled wine.
When choosing, preference should be given to inexpensive varieties, since during heating the ingredients of the drink neutralize all aromas, and there is no point in using expensive wine.
Mostly a strong drink is made from red wine, but today it is allowed to use white.
You can cook from sweet or semi-sweet. In this case, it is very easy to overcook the drink. Dry wine makes it possible to play with spices. It is very easy to feel in it all the subtleties of the shades of the added ingredients.
In the case of fortified or dessert wine, you risk getting a drink that will give away alcohol.
Seasonings
Before you cook mulled wine at home, you should study the choice of spices. After all, it is not always possible to purchase a ready-made kit. Moreover, in this case, you can add only your favorite spices and remove those you don’t like from your recipe.
The main ingredients for preparing a mulled wine recipe (both at home and in any institution) are honey and sugar. It is better to add one of these ingredients.
For one liter of dry wine add no more than four tablespoons of sugar. No more need. Otherwise, the drink will turn out to be sweet, and it will not be possible to drink it. Sugar can be added at any stage in the preparation of a drink. If you use honey, add it at the end.
In addition to the main ingredients, it is customary to add a number of spices. It is better that they are not ground. Ground spices will make the drink cloudy.
So, the necessary spices for alcoholic and non-alcoholic mulled wine at home:
- Cloves and cinnamon sticks are the main spices that make up the “classic” hot wine drink.
- Ginger or barberry is added as desired. They will add a touch of acidity to the drink.
- For thrill-seekers, you can add peppercorns to black pepper, but be careful in this case. If you overdo it, the drink will get a bitter aftertaste, and it will be impossible to drink it.
- For a more astringent taste, you can add saffron.
- Nuts (hazelnuts, almonds) will add sophistication to the drink.
- Star anise and anise will change the color of the wine and give the cocktail a delicate aroma.
- You can add mint or any herb. Thanks to them, mulled wine will become similar to martini.
- You can also add raspberries, currants, cranberries or your favorite dried fruits.
How to drink a hot wine cocktail
Before you cook mulled wine at home, we will understand the rules for serving and drinking it.
It is best served in a thick glass dish with long handles. Glasses are usually decorated with dried fruits and whole spices.
Filter the mulled wine before serving. They usually drink it slowly in sips, enjoying the aromatic notes.
The drink is served with fruit or meat dishes as an aperitif.
Mulled wine at home. The recipe is "Classic"
Ingredients:
- a bottle of red dry wine;
- a pair of cinnamon sticks;
- cloves - a few pieces;
- a quarter cup of purified water;
- a tablespoon of granulated sugar;
- nutmeg powder - a fourth of a teaspoon.
At the first stage of preparing classic mulled wine at home, you need to pour water into a pan or any other container, pour out all the spices and put on fire.
We bring the broth to a boil, then turn it off and insist for about a quarter of an hour without opening the lid.
Meanwhile, we heat the wine in a separate container, and add the infused spice broth. Add sugar and bring the mixture to 70 degrees. Then remove from heat, filter through a sieve and pour into a deep glass. You can serve with a cinnamon stick.
Mulled wine “Traditional”
It is customary to add sugar and honey to mulled wine prepared at home according to the “Traditional” recipe.
It is usually prepared from red wine.
So we need:
- one liter of wine;
- a tablespoon of linden honey;
- as much granulated sugar;
- 5 grams of freshly grated ginger;
- a few pieces of cloves;
- a pinch of nutmeg;
- a few peas of allspice;
- a quarter cup of purified water.
We put all the spices in water and put on a fire, heat, without bringing to a boil.
In parallel, in a separate container we heat the wine, add a decoction with spices, honey and sugar. Bring the mixture to 70 degrees and turn it off.
The drink is perfect as a prophylactic for colds.
White Wine Hot Drink
Consider another mulled wine recipe made at home. But in this case, replace red wine with white, which does not spoil the taste of the drink.
Ingredients:
- half a glass of water;
- white wine - 750 milliliters;
- a couple of tablespoons of sugar;
- one lemon;
- one orange;
- two cinnamon sticks;
- add cloves to taste.
Pour water into a pot or stewpan. Add sliced lemon and orange. Ships send spices. Typically, citrus fruits are added with a peel. But nowadays they are treated with various chemistry, so it is better to peel the peel.
Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and pour the wine. At a slow temperature, bring the liquid to the desired temperature and turn it off. We give the drink infused for fifteen minutes.
Then we filter into glasses and enjoy the delicate aroma of the drink.
Homemade Alcohol Free Mulled Wine Recipe
For those to whom alcohol is contraindicated or simply not consumed, non-alcoholic mulled wine can be prepared. Of course, it will be far from a traditional drink, but as an option it is perfect for pregnant women or children.
Grape juice is taken as a basis. Can be replaced with apple, pomegranate or cherry. It will turn out not only tasty, but even a very healthy drink.
Ingredients:
- liter of grape juice;
- half an apple;
- a tablespoon of lemon peel;
- two tablespoons of orange peel;
- a pinch of grated ginger and cardamom;
- a couple of tablespoons of raisins;
- cinnamon stick;
- 4 cloves.
To make non-alcoholic mulled wine at home is much easier than alcohol.
Mix all spices with juice and heat over low heat. The main thing is not to bring to a boil. After we turn off the fire and infuse the drink for about ten minutes. We filter and pour into glasses. Garnish with a stick of cinnamon and orange zest.
New Year's wine cocktail
Another homemade mulled wine recipe will take a little longer than “Classic” or “Traditional”.
Ingredients:
- a bottle of dry red wine;
- 750 milliliters of purified water;
- one large apple;
- a glass of honey;
- one orange;
- a teaspoon of black tea;
- three cinnamon sticks;
- a few pieces of cloves;
- ground nutmeg on the tip of a teaspoon;
- add ginger, anise and cardamom to taste.
We wash the fruits, peel and peel.
Bring the water to a boil, send ginger and chopped fruit. After a minute, add tea and spices. Boil for several minutes, reduce heat, add wine and honey. Mix all the ingredients, bring to a temperature (not more than 70 degrees), turn off.
We insist about a quarter of an hour. Filter and pour into glasses, garnished with fruit, anise or a stick of cinnamon.
Tips
Despite the fact that making mulled wine is quite simple, do not forget about some of the nuances:
- When adding spices and spices, do not overdo it, otherwise the taste will turn out to be bitter and tart, which not everyone will like.
- Do not add too much fruit, this can turn mulled wine into compote.
- To prepare a drink, it is better to use dishes with a thick bottom. Never cook it in metal containers. This can lead to an oxidation process.
- To get a coffee-flavored wine cocktail, you can add a little cognac or brewed coffee.
- You can not reheat the drink, which will significantly spoil its taste.
- Mulled wine is drunk as an independent drink, not washed down.
We examined several recipes on how to cook mulled wine at home, which will help to recover from infectious diseases and simply make it possible to enjoy its aromatic and pleasant taste. Remember that mulled wine is an alcoholic drink, and you can drink it in small quantities.