High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Mulled Wine (Glühwein)

Total time30 min

Prep time5 min

Cook time25 min

High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Mulled Wine (Glühwein)

Warm, spiced, and deeply aromatic, this classic German mulled wine is exactly what a cold evening calls for. Bottled and packaged versions of this drink are notorious for relying on corn syrup or high-fructose sweeteners to cut costs, but here the only sweetener is plain granulated sugar — and you control exactly how much goes in. Dry red wine forms the backbone, while brandy, fresh citrus rounds, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom do all the heavy lifting on flavor. The slow, gentle heat coaxes every bit of warmth out of those whole spices without boiling off the wine's character, leaving you with something that smells like a Christmas market and tastes even better. A fine-mesh strainer at the end means every mug comes out silky-smooth and beautifully clear. It's the kind of drink that makes guests linger a little longer around the table, and honestly, that's the whole point.

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Ingredients

6 servings

1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine (such as merlot, pinot noir, or dornfelder)
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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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