Description

This gorgeous, warming, easy-to-make citrus mulled wine is spiced with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom. It's mulled with apple cider, maple syrup, brandy and plenty of citrus for the perfect comforting holiday cocktail.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 bottle of good quality, fruity red wine (Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot, etc)*
1 1/2 cups apple cider*
1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed or no sugar added store-bought)
1/2 cup brandy
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole cloves
1-2 whole star anise pods (optional)
2 cardamom pods
2 blood oranges, sliced
2 pears, sliced
1/3-1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup fresh cranberries (optional)

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Instructions

Add the wine, cider, orange juice, brandy and maple syrup to a stock pot over medium-low heat and whisk well.
Add the cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamom, one sliced orange and one sliced pear. Bring to a very gentle simmer but do not let the mixture boil, otherwise the alcohol will cook out.
Stir every 10 minutes or so and simmer at low heat for one hour (or up to 3 hours). Remove spices and mulled fruit (it's easiest to do so by straining the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into another pot).
Add in cranberries, pomegranate and another sliced orange and pear. Let infuse for 10-15 minutes at low heat, then serve warm. Cheers!

Notes

*We always recommend using a wine you would actually drink on its own. Don't go cheap just because you're adding other ingredients – a bad wine won't improve with extra flavors. There's also no need to splurge on a top-notch bottle – go for an everyday wine.

*Unlike apple juice, raw apple cider does not contain any preservatives or added sweeteners. In the US, you can typically find it in more grocery stores (or local cider mills) from September-January. (Note: it's not the same as hard cider, which contains alcohol).

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Cocktails
Method: Stovetop