December 5, 2017

Our fifth Yule calendar surprise will surely warm you up: it's a mulled wine recipe from Miss Lina! Just be careful with that "optional" brandy - if it's the strong stuff from Brockenborings, you can expect some trouble with the local bounders. But well, here it is!

Mulled Wine

I usually buy my mulled wine ready-mixed in the wine store, since the local merchants have a particularly grand and not too expensive version that I rather enjoy (although, I usually add a cheeky splash of rum to it). However, one year I decided to try out a new recipe at home, and looked around the Internet for some recipes. After trying out a couple, I found this one, and I haven't looked back since. It pretty much tastes how I want it:

From http://wishfulchef.com/gluhwein-mulled-wine/?ref=featured1

Glühwein

• 1 bottle of bold dry red wine
• 1/2 cup of brandy or rum (optional)
• 1 cup water
• 1 large orange, peeled then juiced
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1 lime, peeled (optional)
• 1/2 cup agave syrup or sugar
• 5-6 whole cloves
• 1 nutmeg, about 10 gratings
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, halved
• 2 star anise

Peel large sections of skin from orange, lemon and lime. Over medium heat in a medium sized pot, pour in agave syrup and water, then add the peels and juice of the orange. Add the vanilla bean, cloves, star anise, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg gratings.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. The liquid will reduce, so after around 30 minutes, add in about a half cup of wine. This allows the flavors to infuse and will create a syrup.

When your syrup is ready turn the heat down to low and pour in the bottle of wine and brandy. Bring back to a gentle simmer and heat for about 5 minutes or depending on how much alcohol you want to burn off you can simmer a bit longer. Ladle it into glasses and serve warm.