Mulled wine is an alcoholic warming drink. It is served in the winter in all reputable institutions. But to enjoy this drink, it is not necessary to go to a restaurant. You can easily cook it yourself. How to cook mulled wine at home will be discussed in detail in the article.
Warming drink
Before you learn how to cook mulled wine at home, you need to consider the origin of this drink. This will allow you to understand its essence and basic principles of cooking. There are several recipes for mulled wine. The most common is the classic version.
Mulled wine appeared in ancient Rome. Since then, this drink warms us in the cold season. In ancient Rome, a recipe with spices added to wine was widespread. It was not heated, as the Mediterranean climate is already quite warm.
Mulled wine gained its fame in the Scandinavian countries, where they drank warm spicy wine at fairs and consumed at home. A century later, mulled wine completely conquered all the inhabitants of the continent and became a favorite drink even in areas where the climate is quite warm.
Do you need spices?
Mulled wine not only warms, but is also to some extent a healing drink. It contains a large number of useful components. Many of the healing properties of the drink are explained by the use of special spices for mulled wine.
Each component is good and unique in its own way. Therefore, choosing everything you need for mulled wine, do not mix more than 4 types of spices. Otherwise, you can get a potion with a very rich taste. In this case, you can’t enjoy the drink. Some mulled wine lovers know that not all spices are combined with each other. If they are not mixed correctly, you will not be able to get that delicate bouquet of spicy taste and aroma of a warming drink.
What spices will complement the drink?
Spices for mulled wine need to be selected correctly. There is a certain list of ingredients that are suitable to give the drink a special charm.
Clove has a rich aroma and a burning aftertaste. This spice is a classic component of mulled wine. She will fill it with both wonderful taste and unique aroma. In this case, one nuance must be taken into account. To preserve the aroma of cloves, the drink should not be heated too much. Clove has antiseptic properties, so mulled wine with the addition of this spice is considered a good remedy for colds.
Cinnamon is the base of the whole drink. Without it, its preparation will not do. This spice fills mulled wine with spicy odors and adds sweetness to the drink.
Considering what you need for mulled wine, you need to pay attention to anise. It has a spicy aroma and a sweet sugary taste. The drink with the addition of anise has a lot of useful properties. With it, you can relieve heat and pain. Anise also stimulates appetite. This spice is best combined with cloves and cardamom.
Different types of pepper are used by real gourmets of this drink. However, not everyone will be able to appreciate this unique taste. Such spices are included in mulled wine to give a piquant note. Black pepper fills the drink with a pronounced bitter taste. Red will give mulled wine a sweet aroma. Fragrant will complement the ensemble with a sharp taste and smell. This type of spice is compatible with cloves, cinnamon and nuts.
Ginger is a very healthy ingredient. It contains many medicinal substances. He has a sharp expressive taste. Thanks to this, the drink acquires a unique aroma. For lovers of pronounced sharp taste of ginger, it is worth preparing a drink from the root of this plant. If you want to make a soft drink, it is recommended to add a powdery product. Ginger helps with colds, and also has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. Its root contains antioxidants and vitamins of groups C and B.
Nutmeg is an oriental spice. It is added to the drink to get a unique, spicy, slightly burning and tart-sweet taste. The smell of nutmeg only intensifies when the drink is heated. In addition, this spice is extremely useful. Nutmeg normalizes blood pressure, promotes brain performance and eliminates arrhythmias. This component has a calming effect on the human body. So this kind of mulled wine is perfect for the autumn period, when many people have a depressive state.
Wine for a hot drink
Which wine is best for mulled wine? For its preparation, you can apply different types of alcoholic beverages on a grape, berry basis. You need to make a choice yourself. Taste preferences for all people in this matter are different. Suitable for these purposes is dry and sweet, white and red wine. In each case, you get a tasty peculiar drink.
Previously, mulled wine was prepared from expensive aged wine. But now more and more preference is given to simpler types of alcoholic beverages. It is believed that expensive wine is not suitable for mulled wine, as it has a perfect and unique taste in itself. When heated, it can lose its quality.
Connoisseurs and gourmets of this drink prefer dry wines, as honey or sugar is added to the composition during the preparation process. To preserve the piquant taste and not overdo it with sweetness, you can add them, of course, to semisweet wine. In this case, you need to choose the optimal set of ingredients.
Dessert wine is not too suitable for mulled wine. Such a drink may have a too strong and pronounced taste of alcohol. It is better to choose a young light wine for these purposes. It will give the drink a pleasant taste. You can also make mulled wine from homemade wine. The drink will turn out original and unusual.
Best in this case is red dry or white wine. The choice depends solely on taste preferences. There are no strict requirements or rules in this case.
Cooking Technique
How to cook mulled wine at home? First, in a small container, mix all the selected spices and add water. The resulting mixture must be brought to the boiling stage and removed from heat.
After this, you need to wait 10 minutes for the workpiece to brew. Then it will be necessary to strain it well. The liquid is put on fire. Wine and sugar are added to it to taste. On a small fire, you need to heat the mixture to 70 ° C. In no case should it be brought to a boil.
When small bubbles appear, the container is removed from the fire. Mulled wine is infused under a closed lid for another 15 minutes. The drink is ready! Mulled wine is served hot in glasses that hold heat.
Classic Mulled Wine
This drink is made from red wine. Its sweetness should be minimal. To make a classic mulled wine from red wine at home, you will also need one tablespoon of sugar and 100 ml of water. From spices you need to prepare nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each.
For those who will be preparing mulled wine for the first time, the classic recipe is best. In the future, you can choose any other compatible spices and fruits.
Mulled wine with apples is often prepared at home. To do this, pour the wine into a saucepan and put it on a small fire. Slowly add sugar to the container. The mixture must be constantly stirred. You can not bring the wine to a boil. When the foam appears on the surface, it must be removed.
When the wine begins to evaporate, you should add an apple to it, which was previously peeled and cut into small pieces. Spices are also added.
Before boiling, the drink is removed from the heat. It is covered with a lid and allowed to infuse for 5-7 minutes. After that, the mulled wine needs to be filtered. It can be served on the table.
Winter mulled wine
Winter alcoholic mulled wine is a light warming drink. There is always one way to cook it. But the ingredients may vary slightly. For a winter evening, this option is perfect.
A specific set of ingredients should be prepared. You will need a bottle of red wine, 200 ml of black tea, cinnamon, cloves and sugar. All mix and heat. You do not need to boil the mixture. Cinnamon and cloves give the drink a pleasant aroma. Tea will slightly dilute the strength of the drink. Having prepared mulled wine in this way, you can get a drink with a light taste and spicy aroma.
Cold Mulled Wine
Mulled wine can be a cure for colds. To make it, you will need semi-sweet red wine, one orange, black peppercorns (3 pcs.), Cloves (5 pcs.), A pinch of cinnamon and a little salt. Also, 1 spoon of honey is necessarily added to the composition.
A soft semi-sweet wine with spices will create a piquant taste, and an orange will give acid and a wonderful aroma. Such a drink will surprise everyone with its original and rich aftertaste. It is also a very useful remedy for flu and colds.
Cinnamon and Raisin Beverage
You can make a delicious hot drink from dry white wine. This mulled wine has a pleasant, rich taste. You will need one lemon, cloves (7 pcs.), Several oranges, sugar or honey 70-120 g, ginger (one tablespoon) and 50 g of raisins.
For cooking, you need to cut one orange and lemon slices. And the second whole fruit should be stuffed with cloves. It must be evenly distributed on the surface of the orange.
In the pan you will need to put a whole orange stuffed with cloves, and slices of chopped fruit, ginger and raisins. The mixture is poured with wine. Capacity put on fire. While stirring, add cinnamon and sugar. Next, you need to heat the liquid, without bringing to a boil, remove the container from the heat and let the mulled wine infuse a little.
Multicooking
For such an unusual way you need to have:
- one bottle of wine
- one lemon
- cloves (6 pcs.),
- cinnamon (a couple of sticks),
- allspice (6 pcs.),
- 50 g of honey.
First you need to wash the lemon. It should be cut into two halves. From one of them you need to squeeze out all the juice. After that, the wine is poured into the capacity of the multicooker. It is slightly warmed up. After that, you need to add all the remaining ingredients. The slow cooker is left in the heating mode for 30-40 minutes. After that, you can pour the warm drink into cups by adding a stick of cinnamon and a slice of lemon.
Light drink
If you want to make a drink with a lighter taste, it is worth considering a recipe for warming mulled wine. It will require the following ingredients:
- one bottle of red dry wine;
- two ripe apples;
- two tangerines;
- some cinnamon;
- 10 g "Maggi".
Seasoning “Maggie” for mulled wine combines a mixture of several spices. Therefore, you do not have to select the composition yourself. So you can avoid the incompatibility of seasonings without spoiling the drink. The combination of dry wine and fruits will give a mild flavor with a unique aroma.
Mulled wine is an exquisite hot drink that can please guests. It can be complemented by a unique taste of spices. There are many options for making a spicy drink with the addition of citrus fruits and berries.
It is very useful (unlike many other alcoholic drinks). Mulled wine can cure colds, colds, flu, cough, and even pneumonia. After drinking this drink there is no strong intoxication, as the wine heats up during the preparation process. Knowing how to cook mulled wine at home, you can warm your family and friends on cold winter nights.