Black Pepper Free Mulled Wine (Glühwein)
Warm, spiced, and deeply aromatic, this mulled wine is the kind of drink that makes a cold evening feel like a celebration. Red wine is gently heated with cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom, cloves, and fresh citrus rounds until the whole kitchen smells like a holiday market. A splash of brandy or dark rum adds a subtle depth that takes it well beyond your average hot drink. The recipe lists black peppercorns as a fully optional addition, so you can simply leave them out without changing a single other step — the remaining spices are more than enough to create a complex, layered warmth. Keeping the wine just below a boil is the key technique here, preserving the brightness of the citrus and the integrity of the alcohol while letting the spices bloom slowly into the liquid. Sweetness is easy to dial in at the end, one teaspoon at a time, so every mug comes out exactly the way you like it. Strained clean and ladled into mugs with a fresh orange slice, this is effortless entertaining at its coziest.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine (such as merlot, pinot noir, or dornfelder)
- ¼ cup brandy or dark rum
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar, plus more to taste
- 1 orange, sliced into rounds
- 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole star anise
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- ¼ tsp whole black peppercorns (optional)
Can be omittedblack peppercorns
For serving
- orange slices or cinnamon sticks, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the red wine, brandy, sugar, orange rounds, lemon rounds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cardamom pods in a medium saucepan. Add the peppercorns, if using.
- 2
Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam rises steadily and small bubbles appear around the edges — about 10 minutes. Do not let the wine boil; reduce the heat to low as soon as it approaches a simmer.
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