Description
Mulled wine from Ina Garten warms winter gatherings with rich spices and robust red wine. Guests will savor this comforting beverage that blends aromatic cloves, cinnamon, and orange zest for a delightful seasonal celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 bottle (750 milliliters / 25.4 fl oz) spicy red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 4 cups (960 milliliters / 32 fl oz) fresh apple cider
- ¼ cup (85 grams / 3 oz) liquid honey
- 1 large navel orange
- 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
- 8 whole dried cloves
- 4 whole dried star anise
Instructions
- Preparation: Zest an orange, preserving strips for garnish, and juice the fruit directly into a large saucepan, ensuring no bitter white membrane is included.
- Spice Infusion: Combine red wine, apple cider, honey, cinnamon bark, clove buds, star anise, and 4 orange zest strips in the saucepan, creating a rich aromatic base that will develop complex flavor profiles during cooking.
- Simmering Process: Bring the liquid mixture to a rapid boil, then immediately reduce heat to low, allowing the spices to gently release their essence for 10 minutes, transforming the beverage into a deeply fragrant and warming libation.
- Serving Technique: Strain the mulled wine through a fine-mesh sieve into heat-resistant mugs, garnishing each serving with a carefully curled orange zest strip, presenting an elegant and inviting winter beverage ready to be savored immediately.
Notes
- Choose Ripe Oranges: Select fragrant, vibrant oranges with smooth, unblemished skin for maximum zest and juice quality.
- Zest with Precision: Use a sharp knife to carefully remove only the outer orange layer, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
- Spice Intensity Control: Simmer gently to extract deep flavors without boiling, which can make the wine taste bitter and diminish aromatic complexity.
- Serving Temperature Matters: Serve immediately after straining to maintain optimal warmth and preserve the delicate spice-infused flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg