Pecan 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. A bottle of dry red wine gets gently heated with brandy, fresh citrus rounds, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and cardamom until the whole kitchen smells like a holiday market. The key is keeping the heat low and patient — you want the spices to bloom slowly into the wine without ever letting it boil, which preserves the depth and keeps the alcohol from cooking off too fast. A touch of sugar rounds everything out, and you can adjust it to your own taste right at the end. Every ingredient here is straightforwardly tree-nut-free, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about surprise additions hiding in a spice blend. Ladled through a strainer into mugs and finished with a fresh orange slice or a cinnamon stick, it's as beautiful to look at as it is to sip.
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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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