Here at Latah Creek, there’s not much we love more than wine, and there’s NOTHING we love more than wine in the Fall! And if you know us at all, you know that when it comes to wine we don’t discriminate–if it’s made with grapes, we’re in! But in the Fall, there’s just something magical about a hot mug of mulled wine on a cool day looking out the window at the gorgeous Spokane Fall colors.
Mulled wine dates all the way back to 20 AD where it first originated in the Roman Empire, and is a popular beverage of choice in Germany around the holiday season. While we love the history and culture of mulled wine, what we love most is that it has remained a simple tried and true drink to make over the years. Here’s a quick and easy mulled wine recipe for you to enjoy this crisp Fall and Winter season!
What you need:
Wine: The best wine for a mulled wine recipe is going to be a fruity and full-bodied red. We recommend a mid-range bottle of Merlot or Malbec.
Brandy: While an extra liqueur isn’t necessary for mulled wine, we think adding Brandy adds the perfect zest to this recipe! For an even more dazzling addition, add an orange liqueur such as Cointreau.
Fresh Oranges: Half will be used to mull in the wine, half will be sliced and used as a garnish.
Cinnamon: If you want to splurge on cinnamon sticks, that’s even better!
Whole Cloves
Star Anise
Sweetener: Here’s where your creative juices can get flowing! Sugar is the classic sweetener added to mulled wine, but we like to add some Fall flare with maple syrup!
*We believe the beauty of mulled wine is that each batch will be a little different! This is an “add a little something here and a little something there” kind of recipe, so try varying amounts of each ingredient with each batch you make!
What you do:
- Combine and stir together all of the ingredients in a large pot.
- Heat on medium-high heat until it’s just about to simmer–do NOT let it boil! Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours (pro tip: let it simmer for an hour before guests arrive and your entire house will smell like Heaven!)
- Strain to remove the mulling spices, taste, and add more sweetener if necessary.
- Serve in heatproof mugs, add optional garnish, and voila!
Or, if you are in a bind, grab our mulling spice bag!
Happy mulling!
Cheers,
Natalie