Traditional German Mulled Wine
- Christmas, Germany, Hot Drinks
German Mulled Wine or Glühwein is a classic wintertime and Christmas drink in Germany. This homemade Mulled Wine recipe is the traditional version of German Glühwein. The delicious hot red wine is enriched with various Christmas spices, while the sweetness is perfectly balanced with the citrusy notes from oranges and clementines. It is basically Christmas in a mug and the perfect drink for cold winter days.
Mulled Wine is a very popular and traditional drink throughout all of Europe and has been enjoyed for centuries, especially during the wintertime and at Christmas. That is why you can find a lot of different variations and names for it. Depending on where you are from, mulled wine is known as Glühwein in Germany, Glögg in Sweden, Vino Caliente in Spain, and Vin Chaud in France, just to name a few.
Thanks to the beautiful and world-famous Christmas markets here in Germany like the Christkindlmarkt in Nürnberg or the Striezelmarkt in Dresden, the German name “Glühwein” has found its way to be known all over the world.
Gather your ingredients and try out this traditional German Mulled Wine recipe, and let your whole house be filled with the scent of Christmas.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe:
- red wine (dry/semi-dry)
- Cointreau (orange liqueur)
- brown sugar
- cinnamon sticks
- whole cloves
- cardamom pods
- star anise
- oranges (organic)
- clementines
How to make traditional German Mulled Wine:
(1) Gather and prepare the ingredients
Squeeze fresh juice from 1 orange and 2 clementines. Thoroughly wash the other orange and cut into thin slices. Place all the spices, brown sugar, and orange slices (keep a few for later as decoration) in a medium size pot.
(2) Add freshly squeezed juice and red wine
Add the orange and clementine juice into the pot with all the spices and sugar. Next, add 750 ml red wine (one bottle) and give it a little stir.
(3) Heat the wine mixture
Heat the wine mixture over medium-low heat until it almost reaches the point of simmer. Avoid letting the wine mixture come to a bubble, otherwise, the alcohol from the wine will start to evaporate. When foam is starting to form on the edges of the pot, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let the wine mixture sit on low heat for 30 min.
Finally, add 250 ml of Cointreau (orange liqueur), stir, and let the wine mixture sit on low heat for another 5 min.
(4) Strain and serve
Strain the wine mixture with a fine-mesh strainer and discard the cooked spices and orange slices. Serve hot and add fresh orange slices and spices for decoration.
Some Recipe Tips:
Red Wine: Red wine is the base for this recipe, so the selection of wine is of some importance. You don’t have to use an expensive wine, since we are adding so much to it. Choose a dry to semi-dry, fruity, but still full-bodied wine, since it has to assert itself against the intense flavors of the added spices. To name a few, a Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Tempranillo would be good choices.
Spices: Using whole spices is the absolute key in this recipe. Do not use ground spices.
Traditional German Mulled Wine
Course: DrinksCuisine: GermanyDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes35
minutes40
minutesThis homemade Mulled Wine recipe is the traditional version of German Glühwein. The delicious hot red wine is enriched with various Christmas spices, while the sweetness is perfectly balanced with the citrusy notes from oranges and clementines. It is the perfect drink for cold winter days.
Ingredients
750 ml red wine (dry/semi-dry)
250 ml Cointreau (orange liqueur)
75 g brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods
3 star anise
2 oranges (organic)
2 clementines
Directions
Gather and prepare the ingredients
Squeeze fresh juice from 1 orange and 2 clementines. Thoroughly wash the other orange and cut into thin slices. Place all the spices, brown sugar, and orange slices (keep a few for later as decoration) in a medium size pot.
Add freshly squeezed juice and red wine
Add the orange and clementine juice into the pot with all the spices and sugar. Next, add 750 ml red wine (one bottle) and give it a little stir.
Heat the wine mixture
Heat the wine mixture over medium-low heat until it almost reaches the point of simmer. Avoid letting the wine mixture come to a bubble, otherwise, the alcohol from the wine will start to evaporate. When foam is starting to form on the edges of the pot, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let the wine mixture sit on low heat for 30 min.
Finally, add 250 ml of Cointreau (orange liqueur), stir, and let the wine mixture sit on low heat for another 5 min.
Strain and serve
Strain the wine mixture with a fine-mesh strainer and discard the cooked spices and orange slices. Serve hot and add fresh orange slices and spices for decoration.
Notes
- Red Wine: Red wine is the base for this recipe, so the selection of wine is of some importance. You don't have to use an expensive wine, since we are adding so much to it. Choose a dry to semi-dry, fruity, but still full-bodied wine, since it has to assert itself against the intense flavors of the added spices. To name a few, a Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Tempranillo would be good choices.
- Spices: Using whole spices is the absolute key in this recipe. Do not use ground spices.
