This sums up Christmas in a glass. Spiced and warming Mulled Wine with a bit of a kick. So perfect for Christmas day!
Christmas Traditions
I think we can all agree that everyone has their own traditions when it comes to Christmas. Me for example, I love all the traditions that come with Christmas. The food, drinks, cooking, baking, visiting, parties, just all of it really. Mind you, these past few years there seems to have been less and less on the visiting and parties side of things. Nonetheless, I have always enjoyed Christmas and the traditions that follow suit.
My husband is from the complete other end of the spectrum. In fact, the year before he met me, he jumped on a flight to India for the merry festive period to avoid the shenanigans all together. Yes, we’re polar opposites.
But we’ve been together long enough now and he quietly goes along with the chaotic period, otherwise know as Christmas.
A Love, or Not, of Mulled Wine
To the point where some years ago, he decided he wanted to make mulled wine. I don’t know what sparked the Christmas initiative, but he was all in. Which I found a little odd at the time considering he hardly drinks. He insisted it was a Christmas drink he grew up with and seemed quite fond of the idea of making it himself.
We didn’t grow up drinking mulled wine in Newfoundland. Well, at least not in our house. The only bottles I was used to seeing on the kitchen counter were Purity syrup and Lambs. Yes, the two iconic Newfoundland drinks. You would be guaranteed a drink of one or the other when you went around visiting at Christmas time. And can I just say, that I always preferred the syrup, even as an adult because I’m more of a wine-o than a hard liquor person. If there was wine going around, I would have happily made that choice. So syrup it was for me
Back to Mike and his mulled wine making adventure.
Well, he went in search of a recipe, which he found a million and one. Thanks Google. He settled on one he liked and I gave it the once over with practically zero interest. Shame of me. After all I was supposed to pretty much Santa and he was ten thousand percent Grinch.
Anyway off he went in search, of what seemed like to me, far too many ingredients for one drink.
Making The Mulled Wine
Some time later that day he returned with enough clementines to see us through a few months, easy. Not to mention a a full small bag of star anise. Have to admit, I didn’t even know what that was. And I really didn’t want to know how much it cost. You see, if it were me, I would have just left that ingredient off the list and filed it under “not necessary”. But whenever Mike decided to make something, he doesn’t believe in straying from what’s in front of him.
Anyway, he got cracking and within no time at all the house was filled with the aroma of Christmas. Not bad for my Grinch. It was delicious and 100% worth his effort.
Now it’s become his Christmas tradition and he makes it every single year. I always look forward to it. This one we have here, I made and it’s a tad different than his. Still full of that warming Christmas flavour.
Notes about the mulled wine
Okay, this is crazy easy and it’s so good. A wonderful drink to serve to guests as a welcome drink to party or even on Christmas day for yourself.
- Make sure you make the syrup at first to get the full flavour. You will see this in the recipe below. And secondly, just don’t boil it after you have added the wine. If you do this, you will burn off the alcohol. You might be okay with that, but if I’m drinking wine I want the wine effect…hahaha!
Apart from that there’s really not much to say. Pour a glass and enjoy!
Happy mulled wine making and Christmas is only a week and a half away!
Get the recipe!
Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 2 Clementines
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Lime
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 bottle red wine
Instructions
- Peel large sections of peel from the clementines, lemon and lime.
- In a large saucepan set over medium heat, add the peel and squeeze in the clementine juice. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and nutmeg. Stir well and pour in about 1/4 cup/60 ml of the wine. Stir well.
- Leave this to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until you have a thick syrup.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and add all the wine. Bring to a gentle simmer for around 5 minutes and remove from heat. Serve immediately.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!
