This Easy Spiced Mulled Wine recipe is the perfect warming cocktail to make during the holiday season or on any chilly evening! It features a bottle of red wine gently simmered with water, sugar, lemon juice, and fragrant whole spices like cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves. I absolutely love the aroma that fills my kitchen when I make Spiced Mulled Wine – it instantly makes everything feel cozy and festive! While it might feel a bit early for holiday thoughts here on April 16, 2025, this is definitely a recipe worth bookmarking for those colder months ahead. It’s incredibly simple to prepare and guaranteed to warm you up from head to toe!
Why You’ll Love This Spiced Mulled Wine
- Warm and Comforting: The perfect cozy beverage for cold weather and holiday gatherings.
- Festive Aromas: Infuses your home with the wonderful scents of cinnamon, cloves, and citrus.
- Easy to Make: Uses simple ingredients and requires just gentle simmering.
- Crowd-Pleasing: A classic holiday drink that’s always popular at parties.
- Customizable: Easily adjust the spices, sweetness, or add different fruits.
Ingredients for Spiced Mulled Wine
Here’s what you’ll need to make this warming holiday beverage. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Wine & Liquid Base
- Red wine (Dry, fruity reds work best) (Wine)
- Water (Liquid)
- Lemon juice (Acid)
- Granulated sugar (Sweetener)
Spices & Flavorings
- Cloves (whole) (Spice)
- Star anise (whole) (Spice)
- Cinnamon sticks (whole) (Spice)
Garnish
- Grapefruit, sliced (Fruit)
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card below.)
Variations
I love the classic spice combination in this Spiced Mulled Wine, but here are some delicious variations:
- Add Brandy or Port: Stir in a splash of brandy, port wine, or orange liqueur (like Cointreau) at the end for extra warmth and flavor.
- Different Citrus: Use orange slices instead of or in addition to grapefruit and lemon juice. Studding the orange slices with cloves looks extra festive.
- More Spices: Add slices of fresh ginger, a few cardamom pods, or a grating of fresh nutmeg.
- Sweetness Level: Adjust the amount of sugar to your preference or substitute with honey or maple syrup.
- Non-Alcoholic Version: Use pomegranate juice or cranberry juice as the base instead of red wine.
How to Make Spiced Mulled Wine
Let me show you how incredibly simple it is to make this cozy Spiced Mulled Wine:
Combine Ingredients
- I pour the bottle of red wine and the water into a large pot or saucepan.
- Next, I add the lemon juice, granulated sugar, whole cloves, star anise, and whole cinnamon sticks.
Simmer Gently
- I place the saucepan over low heat.
- I let the mixture simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. The most important thing here is that the mulled wine should not boil! Boiling would cause the alcohol to evaporate and can negatively affect the flavor. I just want it to get warm enough for the spices to infuse.
Add Garnish and Serve
- I remove the pot from the heat.
- I add the fresh grapefruit slices to the warm wine.
- Serve
Tips and Tricks for the BEST Mulled Wine
Here are my secrets for making perfect Spiced Mulled Wine:
- Use a Fruity, Dry Red Wine: Choose an inexpensive but drinkable dry red wine that isn’t too heavy on tannins or oak. Merlot, Zinfandel, Garnacha, or Beaujolais work well.
- Simmer, Don’t Boil: This is crucial! Keep the heat low and never let the wine come to a rolling boil to preserve the alcohol and prevent bitter flavors.
- Whole Spices: Use whole spices (cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise) instead of ground spices. Ground spices can make the wine cloudy and gritty.
- Gentle Heat: Allow the spices to gently infuse the wine over low heat for the best flavor development.
- Taste and Adjust: Adjust the sugar and spices to your personal preference before serving.
How to Serve
This Spiced Mulled Wine is best served warm! Enjoy it:
- In Mugs: Ladle into heatproof mugs or glasses.
- Garnished: Add a fresh grapefruit slice, an orange slice, a cinnamon stick, or a star anise to each mug for garnish.
- At Holiday Parties: Keep it warm in a slow cooker on the “keep warm” setting for guests to serve themselves (remove spices first if keeping warm for a long time).
- On a Cold Night: The perfect cozy drink to sip by the fire.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: You can make mulled wine ahead of time. Prepare it as directed, let it cool slightly, remove the whole spices (they can become bitter if left too long), and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat until warm. Do not boil.
FAQs about Spiced Mulled Wine
- What kind of red wine is best?
- Choose a dry, fruity, inexpensive red wine like Merlot, Zinfandel, Garnacha, or a basic Cabernet Sauvignon. Avoid heavily oaked or very tannic wines.
- Can I make this non-alcoholic?
- Yes! Substitute the red wine with an equal amount of cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, or apple cider. Proceed with simmering with the spices.
- How long can I keep the spices in the wine?
- Simmer for about 10-20 minutes to infuse. If keeping the wine warm for longer (like in a slow cooker), it’s best to remove the whole spices after about 30 minutes to an hour, as they can start to impart bitter flavors if left too long.
Enjoy this warm, fragrant, and festive Easy Spiced Mulled Wine! It’s the perfect cozy drink for the holiday season (or anytime you need warming up!).
Print
Spiced Mulled Wine
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Drinks, Cocktails, Holiday, Winter
- Cuisine: European, American
Description
This spiced Mulled Wine recipe is the perfect cocktail that will warm you up from head to toe. Red wine is gently simmered with sugar, citrus, and warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (750ml) bottle dry red wine (such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Zinfandel)
- 1 cup (250ml) water
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar (or adjust to taste)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 10 whole cloves
- 5 whole star anise
- 4 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 grapefruit, sliced (or 1 orange, sliced)
Optional Garnishes:
- Extra cinnamon sticks
- Orange slices
- Star anise pods
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Pour the red wine and water into a large saucepan or pot. Add the granulated sugar, lemon juice, whole cloves, star anise pods, and whole cinnamon sticks.
- Heat Gently: Place the saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Heat the mixture gently, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar is completely dissolved and the wine is warm and steaming. Do NOT allow the mixture to boil, as this will evaporate the alcohol. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Add Citrus: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the grapefruit (or orange) slices to the warm mulled wine.
- Steep (Optional): For deeper flavor infusion, you can let the mulled wine sit, covered, off the heat for another 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve: Ladle the warm mulled wine into heatproof glasses or mugs, including some of the grapefruit/orange slices if desired. Garnish with an extra cinnamon stick or star anise pod, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Wine: Use a dry, fruity red wine that you enjoy drinking. Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, or even a Grenache works well. Avoid expensive wines, as the spices will be the dominant flavor.
- Sweetness: Adjust the amount of sugar to your preference. You can substitute honey or maple syrup if desired.
- Spices: Use whole spices for the best flavor and easy removal. You can add other spices like fresh ginger slices or cardamom pods.
- Citrus: Grapefruit adds a unique twist, but traditional orange slices are also excellent.
- Heating: Gentle heating is key. Do not boil the wine, or the alcohol will burn off and the flavor can change. The goal is to warm it through and infuse the spices.
- Make-Ahead: You can make mulled wine ahead of time. Prepare as directed, let it cool, remove spices and fruit, and store in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat before serving (do not boil).
- Storage: Store leftover mulled wine (with spices and fruit removed) in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.