Carrageenan Free Mulled Wine (Glühwein)
Warm, spiced, and deeply aromatic, this classic German mulled wine is the kind of drink that makes a cold evening feel like a celebration. A bottle of dry red wine simmers low and slow 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 deepens the flavor, while sugar is added gradually so you can dial in exactly the right level of sweetness. Because this is made entirely from whole spices, fresh fruit, and a clean bottle of wine, there are no hidden additives or stabilizers to worry about — just real, recognizable ingredients from start to finish. The key technique here is patience: keeping the heat low enough to coax out all that spice without boiling off the wine's character. Strained smooth and ladled into mugs, it's the kind of thing guests will ask you to make again before they've even finished the first round.
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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)
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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