Soy 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 genuinely festive. Whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and crushed cardamom pods steep slowly in a bottle of dry red wine alongside fresh orange and lemon rounds, building layers of flavor that no store-bought mix can touch. A splash of brandy deepens the richness, while a measured amount of sugar lets you dial in the sweetness exactly to your liking. The key is patience — keeping the heat low enough to coax out every bit of spice without boiling off the wine's character. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of soy, so there's no label-scanning or ingredient-swapping required; just pour, warm, and enjoy. Ladle it through a strainer into mugs and finish with a fresh orange slice or a cinnamon stick for a presentation that looks far more effortful than it actually is. It's the kind of recipe you'll find yourself making on repeat from the first cold snap straight through to New Year's.
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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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