Christmas celebration tend to extend to the night and sometimes even going on overnight. With the cold nights and outdoor settings, something to warm up will be a must have in your party whether its a cup of tea or hot chocolate to keep the cold in check. Why not enjoy the traditional Christmas drink – mulled wine which is basically spicy warm wine for a warm and fun filled Christmas night? Get the recipe here as we give some tips on how to make a perfect mulled wine for your guests.
Spice Things Up
Traditional mulling spices are cinnamon, star anise, cloves and nutmeg, but don’t let this limit you as you could try adding allspice, cardamom, bay leaves, vanilla pods or ginger, depending on the liquid you’re mulling and your preference. You can also include a touch of citrus to complement these warm spices. You can also use an orange, tangerine, clementine and mandarin to add an extra festive kick.
Add Some Sweetness
Because of the rum and or vodka added to the mulled wine, you might want to lighten up the heavy booze and wintery spices. You do not want your visitors going out of control forcing you to end the party earlier than planned. Lighten your mulled wine with a sweetening agent by add sugar at the beginning of the recipe so it gets a chance to dissolve. Stir regularly until it has disappeared. You can also use honey or a flavoured syrup for the sweet taste once the mix is taken off the heat.
Plan Ahead
Best way to do anything is to plan ahead, especially when it comes to hosting. Keep a pre-made bottle of spiced syrup in the cupboard to avoid a last minute mulling crisis. Simply combine sugar and water with the spices of your choice and simmer for 20 minutes, cool, strain it through a fine sieve and pour into sterilized bottles.
Wrap It Up
Investing in some muslin so that you can make your own spice bag when you want to make mulled wine and this way you won’t end up with floaters. Fill it with any unground spice such as cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg, cloves or ginger slices.
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Try Something New
Many people use red wine for mulling but there are plenty of drinks that are fit for mulling. Cider works well but be sure to get the flat farmhouse scrumpy, perry (pear cider) or French dry cider. Alter your spices accordingly – lift the mix with apple or pear juice, some fresh cranberries, vanilla and apple slices. You can also use white wine paired with light flavours like elderflower cordial, rosemary, vanilla and thyme.
For the non-drinkers, try mulled apple juice with mild spices and orange. Merry Christmas
