Tis the season to be….jolly? Or tipsy maybe?
It’s that time of the year where we all start to organize our Christmas Holidays and get time to eat, drink and be merry and what better way than to have a tipple of something Christmassy.
I personally for one, had never ever tired mulled wine but last year The Hubster (aka my husband) asked for one whilst he was making his legendary Christmas ham (it’s the one time in the year that I relinquish full control of the kitchen and allow him to make his delicious ham).
The Hubster and I had such a great time experimenting and drinking (and getting plastered/drunk)and I have waited ever so patiently for the Christmas Season to come along so that I could introduce you to this gorgeous spice mix.
I guess it’s safe to say that Mulled Wine is a drink that is usually associated with USA & Europe as traditionally its winter in December, as opposed to us poor souls who end up sweating our souls out of our pores in the land Down Under. I swear we Australians, especially those of us that are located in the lower southern part of Australia suffer temperature deficient syndrome, as I would love for it be cold and snowing at Christmas time!
Delving in deeper as to the origins of the mulled wine it appears that the first ever traces of mulled wine date back to the Roman Empire (20AD) where it was called “Conditum Paradoxum”. Call it what you will its damn delicious!
Mulled Wine is also referred to as Spiced Wine (or even Glühwein , if you want to be fancy) and it is usually an alcoholic drink made with red wine. It is served hot or warm and traditionally it is served at Christmas time during winter as well as the Christmas Markets in primarily in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Eastern France. The Polish have a vodka spiked mulled wine which they tend to sell at their Christmas markets. There are non-alcoholic versions that are made using apple juice or non-alcoholic apple cider.
Mulled wine is a gorgeous drink to have and really does add a special touch to your Christmas parties. The warm spices have such a comforting flavour and I assure you your home will smell divine!
Our Mulled Wine Spice Mix would make a very nice gift for your neighbours, or your family and even for your child’s school teacher. Just add a bottle of wine and some of our Mulled Wine Spice Mix. If they are not lovers of Mulled Wine, they could always use this as potpourri believe it or not.
Any sort of red wine would work but I think a cheap Australian Shiraz, Cabernet or Port would work the best, and that’s what The Hubster and I used. There is no need to spend a ton of money on an expensive bottle of red wine. Mulling covers up the subtleties of wine. You just need a big, bold, dry red wine so that the spice mix is not overpowering.
If you’re wanting to use it in a Sangria opt for a fruity red wine like a Gamay, Pinot Noir, Grenache, or Merlot. If going down the Grenache path, then aim for an Australian version as we make the best! The Hubster and I have also used this when we caught a rotten flu this year by making it in a Hot Toddy, we added a splash of brandy, and it was amazing. It really helped with the chills and the aches and pains of the flu along with easing our snot filled noses.
The best way to use our Mulled Wine Spice Mix is to firstly ensure that the saucepan that you choose to use is thoroughly cleaned. You want absolutely no left over gunk in your saucepan, Why? Because if there are any goobies or gunk on your saucepan it will spoil your wine. I suggest soaking your pot/saucepan in hot boiling water with a dash of bicarb soda (baking soda) and fresh lemon juice. I use the cut up lemon half as a scourer and I scrub the saucepan then rinse and dry and you’re good to go.
Then pour your red wine of choice into the saucepan (you need a 750ml bottle), add 1/3 cup of either honey or white sugar and then add one pouch of our Mulled Wine Spice Mix. Allow it to warm over a low heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. When ready to serve simply discard the spice pouch (all biodegradable so straight into your compost bin) and drink up buddies!
If making a non-alcoholic version, simply place your apple juice/non-alcoholic apple cider into a clean saucepan, bring the mix to a boil, then cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Then discard the pouch and serve.
The aromas just remind me of Christmas time, its brimming with cinnamon, nutmeg, dried orange peel, dried lemon peel, allspice berries, whole cloves, and crystalized ginger (our choice of ginger is GMO Free). It is truly a gorgeous mix.
If you’re not a fan of our biodegradable pouches you could always use a tea infuser. Simply empty the Mulled Wine Spice Mix into it and voila! We also sell Test Tube Tea infusers which are made from Borosilicate glass and are available on our website.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hannukah, happy Festivus, Happy whatever you are celebrating! Bottoms Up!
Irene
