I wasn’t going to post this recipe for mulled wine, but then I received the following email from my mom a few days ago:

Is mulled wine best used as a room freshener? It makes the room smell gorgeous but when you taste it it tastes like medicine!!!!!!

Mom

Clearly even my own mom needs a little help making mulled wine, so here we go! The definitive recipe and method on how to make mulled wine!

The absolute best way that I’ve found to make mulled wine is to essentially make a “ tea bag” by using a coffee filter. If you add all the spices into it, and tie it with string, it will save a lot of the clean-up and also none of the gritty spices get into your drink. The only other way around making a tea bag is to strain it through a sieve, but ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat!

What I like most about mulled wine is that you can change-up the recipe anyway you like and call it your own….but I take that stance with ANY recipe! It’s also a GREAT way to run down some of the spices that you find yourself hardly using throughout the year!

INGREDIENTS

– 1 coffee filter
– Kitchen string
– As much red wine as you need. Count on buying more than you think you’ll drink. Mulled wine has a tendency to go down extremely smoothly! This recipe is based on one bottle, and I recommend a hearty full-bodied Zinfandel, Cabernet or Merlot…obviously it has to be El Cheapo!
– 1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 1 heaped teaspoon ground nutmeg
– 1 heaped teaspoon ground cloves
– 1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
– 6 star anise
– 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
– 1 orange, thinly sliced
– 1 red apple, thinly sliced
– 3 tablespoons sugar, plus more to taste.
– Cinnamon sticks for garnish (optional

METHOD

1. Heat up the wine (don’t boil) in a large pan, or crock pot, until just a little steam is coming off the top.

2. Add all the spices into the middle of the coffee filter and tie tightly with the string (as shown in the picture).

3. Add the spice teabag, fruit, vanilla essence and sugar. Gently stir and let sit for 15-20 minutes.

4. Taste to make sure it’s sweet enough. There’s a VERY good chance it will need to be sweetened a little more, based on your personal preference!

5. Serve using a ladle, making sure to get some of the apples and oranges in each glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick (optional).