Dairy Free Mulled Wine (Glühwein)
Warm, spiced, and deeply aromatic, this classic German mulled wine is exactly what cold-weather gatherings are made for. A full bottle of dry red wine gets gently heated with brandy, fresh citrus rounds, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom, and cloves until the whole kitchen smells like a Christmas market. The good news for anyone avoiding dairy is that this recipe is naturally free of it — no cream, no butter, no substitutions needed, just wine and spices doing all the work. The key technique here is patience: keeping the heat low enough to coax out every bit of flavor from the spices without boiling off the alcohol or turning the wine bitter. After a slow, fragrant simmer, the liquid takes on a gorgeous amber-red color that looks as inviting as it tastes. A quick strain into mugs keeps things elegant, and a fresh orange slice or cinnamon stick on the rim makes it feel genuinely festive. It's the kind of drink that turns a chilly evening into an occasion.
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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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