Warming drinks, tasty and healthy, exist in the culinary of different nations. They were invented a long time ago, as an effective means of saving from hypothermia. And if once they were eaten to protect themselves from the common cold, then these days they absorb these drinks for pleasure, for the sake of their pleasant taste. In addition to traditional tea and coffee, these are herbal infusions, chocolate and cocoa, punches, grog, mead, mulled wine. We’ll talk about the latter.
Mulled wine - what is it?
Not all alcohol connoisseurs know what kind of drink it is, on the basis of what it is prepared. And if they do, they doubt: which wines are suitable for mulled wine, and which are not. Let's clarify the situation. Firstly, it refers to low alcohol drinks, but with a pronounced aroma. Drinking a liquid is hot or very warm. Smells and flavors of the drink depend on the spices that are placed in it. These are spices: cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla. As for the basis - wine for mulled wine, the classic version is red, from grapes of dessert and table varieties. For the fortress, pouring nourishment: suitable liqueurs, cognacs, rum. However, you can’t overdo it with them. After all, the task of the drink is to pleasantly relax a person, fill the body with warmth, raise the mood, improve well-being.
Ingredients
But back to what wines are taken for mulled wine. They can be dry, semi-sweet, sweet. Let's say more: even the most ordinary, cheap, which, maybe, in pure form, will not even be suitable for you, is suitable. But if you refine it with honey, ginger, lemon or orange peels, the taste will be completely different. Bay leaf and allspice will bring their specific note . Sweets, in addition to honey, will add sugar. And a light fruity taste will be given by raisins, dried apricots, apples. Thanks to them, even sour house wines for mulled wine will be the right choice. As for the color, then, in addition to red, pink and white are taken.
The subtleties of cooking
The name of the drink came to us from German. It translates as "flaming wine," or "hot wine." It is cooked in an enameled or copper saucepan - but not in aluminum (otherwise it will be oxidized). What kind of wine is needed for mulled wine - we found out. Now you need to learn the rule: the drink should only be heated, but in no case boil. And it should not be heated in the second or third circle, otherwise you will lose its rich aroma. And the taste will suffer. Also, be sure to remove the citrus peels from the finished drink. Otherwise, it may be bitter with overexposure. And in general, it is important to consider not only what kind of wine is needed for mulled wine, but also the need to filter before serving. And pouring it into glasses is recommended not immediately after removing from the heat, but after 40 minutes. Just cover the pan with towels or a blanket and let the drink brew. Opening the lid later, you will be surprised how spices will brightly reveal their aroma.
Mulled wine on white wine
Let's make mulled wine from white wine. As a basis, take Sauvignon, Aligote, Chardonnay. “Tamyanka” and “Muscat” will be good. A half-liter bottle requires the same amount of water, about 90-120 g of gin (if other alcohol is stronger, then take it less), half a lemon (juice), 100 g of rosehip syrup (buy it ready). From spices to this recipe comes cloves (a few buds) and a couple of cinnamon sticks. How is mulled wine cooked:
- Water should be boiled by throwing spices in it. Then take them out.
- Add wine to this water and heat. Make sure that it does not boil.
- Add the wild rose, warm it up and turn off the heat.
- Pour in lemon juice and gin. If the drink seemed sour to you, add sugar or honey.
- Let it brew, then drink on health!
Mulled wine on red wine
Mulled wine from red wine, if it is made from Cahors, will be very simple to prepare, but taste good. This alcoholic drink is loved by experts and connoisseurs just like that, in its purest form. And as a mulled wine, he is absolutely magnificent. What you need: one and a half liters of wine; about 250 g of coffee liqueur or Amaretto, Mocha; 1.5-2 lemons, a few cloves and cinnamon sticks. What to do with all this diversity? The wine needs to be warmed up well, almost to a boil. Pour in the liquor, put spices and lemons, sliced into slices. Let the wrapped pan stand for 15-20 minutes. Then separate and drink the liquid. Sweeten as desired.
And red again
As you already understood, mulled wine can be cooked in completely different ways. The recipe for wine and spices allows you to choose from a wide list of ingredients, thanks to which we get amazing compositions of aromas and taste sensations. To lovers of the “special”, extraordinary, we can offer such an amazing mulled wine. For each glass of red base wine, take half a glass of sugar and a slice of cinnamon. Boil the ingredients for about 10 minutes. Separately, take a little chilled the same wine, dissolve 2 yolks in it, whisk. Add to an already heated component. Place the saucepan in a water bath and heat. When the liquid becomes hot enough, mulled wine is removed from the fire and drunk.
Mulled wine coffee
It is red wine that most often becomes the main ingredient for the drink we are interested in. In it, to a greater extent than in white, a peculiar astringency is expressed, giving the mulled wine the very zest for which we value it. Therefore, it’s very worth trying such a drink, consisting of 300 g of “red” (Cabernet, Lidia, Cahors, Church, etc.), 2 cups of fresh strong coffee, about 120-150 g of sugar and 120 g of brandy. How to cook it: heat the wine. Pour in hot coffee, add sugar, dissolve. Remove from heat, flavor with cognac and carry to the table!
Delicious mulled wine with honey
As already mentioned, mulled wine is prepared with fruit additives, for example, with citrus. A large portion of this most delicious drink will turn out if you observe the following proportions:
- wine (red) - from 750 g;
- water - 100 g;
- honey - 5-6 tablespoons;
- cloves and allspice - a pinch;
- half a spoonful of nutmeg (grate);
- a little grated ginger root;
- 1 large orange;
- from 70 to 100 g of cognac;
- fresh lemon zest (grate 1 piece).
How to cook mulled wine from all the ingredients? Put spices in boiling water and boil them for 2-3 minutes. Then simply cover the pan with a lid, towel on top, let it brew for 20 minutes. Strain the broth. Put the zest in another saucepan. Cut the orange into thin slices (together with the peel) and transfer to the same place. Then you need to pour citruses with wine, heat, almost bringing to a boil. After that, remove the workpiece from the fire, flavor with honey, stir and pour cognac. Lastly, combine mulled wine with a decoction, warm it up again and pour into bowls!
Classic drink
A classic, traditional mulled wine is a recipe for such a drink. Take a bottle of your favorite red wine, a little nutmeg and cloves, a couple of spoons of sugar and a glass of water. Put spices in boiling water, boil for a couple of minutes, then leave to infuse for 15 minutes under the lid. Strain the broth and dissolve the sugar in it. Heat the wine to 70-80 degrees and combine with the broth. Drink with pleasure, warming not only the stomach, but also the soul. Enjoy the mulled wine and don't get sick!