-Gabrial House-
With holidays right around the corner and a crisper feel in the air I thought it
would be the perfect time to share one of my favorite holiday beverages on the blog this week. I love sitting around a bonfire with family and friends sipping on a warm glass of properly steeped mulled wine. There are thousands of variations of this recipe, so feel free to add your own personal touches where you see fit.
Mulled wine is a heated (never boiled) wine, infused with fruit, spices, and liqueurs. Since I normally enjoy this beverage around the holiday season, I tend to stick with more traditional flavorings, such as red wine citrus, clove, cinnamon, star anise, and some Grand Marnier, both for flavor and to sweeten it just a bit. However, the cool crisp sky is the limit when it comes to mulled wine. You could use apples, nutmeg, and coco powder with a splash of brandy. Or what about a white wine with cranberry, lemon, and ginger? If you are a true DIY and make your own wine then you will want to be creative and play on the flavors and notes of you own favorite vino.
Ingredients:
- 750 ml bottle of a dry red wine
- 1 orange or 3 clementines, sliced into rounds
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise pods
- ¼ cup of Grand Marnier
- Garnish with orange round and cinnamon stick
Once you have all your ingredients gathered, the rest of the recipe is easy. You will want to add all ingredients to a large saucepan or, as I prefer, a crock-pot. You want to bring the wine up to just barely reach a low simmer – remember we do not want to let the wine boil, as it can cook off the alcohol. Now you let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes, or better yet 3 hours, to truly infuse all those wonderful flavors. You will want to strain your mulled wine before serving it, giving it that clean, clear, lovely red color.
Whatever flavors you want to bring to this festive beverage are up to you! Just know you can’t go wrong, and your family and friends will be glowing with enjoyment as they sip on their mulled wine surrounded by good people!
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