Mulled Red Wine Cocktail Recipe
Red wine warmed with citrus, cinnamon and cloves — never boiled, or the alcohol and the point both go.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Irish coffee mug
- ABV: 9%
- Difficulty: Medium
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Red wine180 ml (6.1 oz)
- Simple syrup30 ml (1 oz)
- Cinnamon stick1 piece
- Cloves4 piece
- Fresh orange juice30 ml (1 oz)
How to Make It
- Warm the wine gently with the syrup, orange juice and spices — keep it well below a simmer.
- Hold at that temperature for twenty minutes.
- Strain out the spices.
- Serve in warm mugs with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.
Garnish
Orange slice and a cinnamon stick
What it tastes like
The sweetness is pronounced and there is a spiced warmth to it.
The technique
Built in the glass. Ice goes into the serving glass, the ingredients go on top, and you stir once if at all. Anything carbonated goes in LAST and never gets stirred; every turn of the spoon costs you bubbles. Fill the glass to the rim with ice: less ice melts faster, not slower.
Glass and ice
A handled, thick-walled Irish coffee mug. Built for hot drinks: the handle protects your hand and the thick glass holds the heat. Warming it with hot water first noticeably changes the first sip.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Red wine
- You want a young, fruity red that does not push its tannin; heavy, oaky wines turn harsh against cola or soda. Expensive wine is wasted here.
- Simple syrup
- One part sugar to one part water, stirred until it dissolves — no need to boil it. Keeps a month in the fridge. No syrup? Use the same amount of honey, loosened with a little water.
- Cinnamon stick
- A cinnamon stick is aroma, not decoration: it steeps in a hot drink, and in a cold one it is rubbed along the rim to leave its scent.
- Fresh orange juice
- Fresh orange juice. Carton juice is sugar-adjusted, so it sweetens the drink and drops its acidity; when you squeeze your own, pull back a little on the syrup.
The Story
Glühwein is the fixed point of every Austrian and German Christmas market, sold by the mug with a deposit on the cup.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Mulled Red Wine mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in an Irish coffee mug.
- How strong is a Mulled Red Wine?
- Roughly 9% ABV as served — lighter than a beer — a long-conversation drink that takes a second round.
- Can a Mulled Red Wine be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Mulled Red Wine hard to make?
- Moderate. A shaker or mixing glass plus a strainer covers it.
The main ingredient here is also a dream symbol: Wine in a dream
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.