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Make your own

Mulled Wine – Make Your Own Glögg

Homemade mulled wine is easier than you think – and tastes infinitely better than the bottled stuff. Here is our complete guide, from choosing spices to serving.

Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and star anise – the base of homemade glögg

What you need

  • 1 bottle red wine (75 cl), preferably full-bodied – e.g. Merlot or Shiraz
  • 200 ml port wine or fortified wine
  • 100 ml caster sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 1 piece fresh ginger
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • Peel of 1 orange or a piece of bitter orange peel
  • Raisins and blanched almonds, to serve

Step by step

  1. Make a spice extract. Put all the spices and the citrus peel in a glass jar. Pour over the port wine, seal and leave to steep somewhere cool for at least 24 hours – 2–3 days for a deeper flavour.
  2. Strain. Strain out the spices through a fine sieve or coffee filter. The spiced wine should be clear and fragrant.
  3. Mix and heat. Pour the spiced wine into a saucepan together with the red wine and sugar. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Do not let it boil – that drives off the alcohol and flattens the flavour.
  4. Taste. Need more sweetness, more spice, or a splash more port wine? Adjust now.
  5. Serve. Pour into pre-warmed cups with a spoonful of raisins and a few blanched almonds in the bottom.

Variations

  • Alcohol-free mulled wine: Swap the wine for alcohol-free red wine or grape/blueberry juice. Skip the port wine or use an alcohol-free alternative.
  • White mulled wine: Use a fruity white wine (Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc), white port and add vanilla and extra cardamom.
  • Stronger mulled wine: Spike with a splash of vodka, brandy or rum before serving.
  • Modern twist: Add a star anise, a piece of vanilla pod or a few juniper berries to the spice extract.

Tips for perfect mulled wine

  • Use a wine you actually enjoy drinking – cheap wine makes cheap glögg.
  • Whole spices give a cleaner flavour than ground ones.
  • Never heat above 70°C. A thermometer is worth its weight in gold.
  • Blanch the almonds by dipping them in hot water for 1 minute, then cold water – the skins slip right off.
  • Mulled wine keeps 1–2 weeks in the fridge. Warm it in batches.
  • Flavour tip: For a deeper, spicier flavour, add a little bitter orange peel. It gives the glögg a lovely bitter citrus note that pairs beautifully with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.

What to serve it with

Classic accompaniments are gingerbread cookies, saffron buns, saffron pastries, blue cheese and crispbread with blue cheese. For a more indulgent pairing, try chocolate truffles or a piece of candied orange.