Mulled wine is considered one of the most unique drinks. The unusual thing is that it can be served with snacks, and desserts, and even with main dishes. Each country has its own idea of what products to combine mulled wine with. Dietitians as well as restaurant specialists have their opinions. We will tell you what mulled wine is, what they drink this drink with and how to serve it, in our article.
What do people from different countries prefer to serve mulled wine?
The drink is most popular among Europeans. Each country has its own opinion on how mulled wine is served. So, what do the Austrians drink with? In this country, along with mulled wine, cakes and sweet cookies are served. This combination, according to the Austrians, is ideal.
The Germans consider mulled wine a drink, which must be present on the festive table as a dessert. As a rule, a drink with chocolate, sweets or cakes is served.
The Swiss prefer to drink hot drink in the bite with spicy cheese, meat and smoked fish. Holland chooses donuts and cakes from the whole list of snacks, but Latvians love mulled wine with gingerbread cookies (mint, vanilla, ginger, honey).
As for the Portuguese, everything is much simpler here: their favorite snacks are grapes, cheese sticks and crackers. Eastern European countries prefer to drink mulled wine with gingerbread, ice cream and apples baked with honey. Some people like a bite with fried chicken, garlic buns and smoked meat.
A few words about the origin of mulled wine
Before discussing questions about how to cook mulled wine, what they drink this drink with, you should talk about its origin.
So, the name of the drink comes from the German word gluhende and wein, which means “hot wine”. As you know, the inventors of mulled wine are the Germans. It was from this enterprising people that other European countries began to adopt the recipe of the drink and add their own ingredients.
How is mulled wine prepared?
In general, mulled wine is a drink consisting of red wine, spices and sugar. The liquid, as a rule, is heated to 70-80 degrees. Often, honey, dried fruits and apples are added to it.
As spices, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, bay leaf, star anise, allspice, as well as citrus zest are used.
How to cook mulled wine yourself?
So, we talked about what mulled wine is drunk with. The snack, as you already understood, can be different, and we will return to this issue. How to make a drink? Today there are a huge variety of recipes for this amazingly delicious drink. But the most unusual and original mulled wine is obtained precisely from the Swiss and French.
Now we will offer you a classic cooking option.
Ingredients:
- red wine - 800 ml;
- water - 1/3 cup;
- sugar - 20 g;
- cloves - 5-6 pcs.;
- nutmeg to taste.
In a separate container (enamelled), mix all the ingredients. Place the dishes on the stove (medium heat) and stir constantly.
After the sugar has dissolved, leave the drink to obscure for another 10 minutes. Do not bring to a boil, otherwise mulled wine will not work. The maximum temperature of the drink during heating is 80 degrees.
It should be noted that it is better not to use ground spices when preparing the drink, otherwise it will have to be filtered several times.
Which dishes should you use for mulled wine?
What do they drink the drink with and in what dishes should the mulled wine be served? This question is very important, so we will consider it in more detail.
The use of mulled wine is a certain tradition, which involves the use of glasses having a handle at the base, or massive thickened mugs that can keep the temperature of the drink for a long time.
As a rule, mulled wine is drunk hot, so drinking through a pipe in this case will be inappropriate (for obvious reasons). Glasses with it are not decorated with various decorative "little things" intended for a cocktail. But the pieces of fruit, carved figurines from herbs look just great.
A few words about cold mulled wine
Having bought a fragrant drink in the store, many are interested in: “How to drink mulled wine in bottles?”
It is worth saying that the mulled wine purchased in the supermarket does not bear any beneficial properties for our health. As you know, it is just a freshly prepared drink in a hot state that can protect against colds, strengthen immunity, and also saturate the body tired of cold everyday life.
Therefore, answering the question of how to drink mulled wine in bottles, we give a detailed answer. It is not recommended to warm up purchased or cooled mulled wine, otherwise the drink will lose all taste and beneficial properties. The same applies to the situation in which the drink accidentally boils.
How to serve mulled wine?
So, we return, as promised, to the main question: "What do they drink mulled wine with?" An appetizer can be very varied. For example, if you plan to make a drink on a frosty day in nature, then in this case, sausages or meat cooked on the grill are ideal.
Cookies and cakes can be served at home. Nutritionists say that baking should not be too sweet.
If cardamom was used in the preparation, then it is recommended to have a bite of slices of fried lamb or ham. In this case, lean pork meat can also be used as a snack. Does mulled wine include cloves? Make sure that game meat is on the table.
Is it possible to drink mulled wine in large quantities? Do not abuse this drink so that in the morning you do not wake up with a headache and a hangover. To support the body during colds, it is enough to drink one, maximum two mugs.
How to drink mulled wine?
With what we drink mulled wine, we examined in detail, and now we can talk about how to drink this drink.
So, it must be consumed slowly and carefully, in small sips. First, the fumes emanating from the drink are inhaled, and then, after taking a sip, you can enjoy its amazing spicy taste.
As for the temperature, it should be 70 degrees when fed. To prevent the drink from cooling off before friends arrive, pour the mulled wine into a thermos. But remember: storage time in a closed container is limited. Exactly after 2 hours, the taste of the drink will deteriorate.
Do not pour it into a thermos with citrus fruits. It’s better to pre-filter the drink, otherwise it will be very bitter during use. The same goes for spices. They should be removed from the prepared drink.
Precautions
Along with useful properties, mulled wine is harmful. Do not use it in amounts exceeding 2 cups, because the drink contains alcohol, and a large number of spices can strike the gastrointestinal tract.
It is not recommended to drink mulled wine for people with diabetes, hypertension, pregnant and lactating women, as well as those who have problems with the cardiovascular system.
Many are interested in the following question: "Is it possible to drink mulled wine at a temperature?" Some are inclined towards what is possible. For these purposes, there are even a lot of different recipes, for example, with the addition of honey, lemon, etc.
Enjoy your time with friends and family!