Mulled wine: a perfect midwinter drink

While summer is reigning in the northern hemisphere, it has been somewhat colder here in the south. To liven things up a little and draw our friends from their homes, we hosted a midwinter dinner. A last minute (but very welcome) addition was mulled wine.

My recipe is closer to the German glühwein than the traditional British mulled wine, and has always been received very favourably.

Ingredients

• 1 orange, sliced

• Peel of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp of caster sugar (more to taste)

• 6 whole cloves

• 1 stick cinnamon

• 1 tsp dried juniper berries

• Spiced rum (to taste, I use about a tablespoon)

• 1 vanilla pod / 1 tsp pure vanilla essence

• 2 star anise

• 1 bottle red wine

Directions

1. Gently heat the wine in a saucepan with the all of the ingredients apart from the rum.

2. Leave on a low heat for about 15 minutes, but don’t allow to boil.

3. Add the rum, and more sugar if needed.

4. If it tastes a bit acidic add a pinch of baking soda – more sugar or honey won’t help!

5. Strain and serve warm.