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Easy Mulled Wine with Orange & Cinnamon

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A quick and cozy mulled wine recipe that comes together in just 15 minutes, featuring red wine, orange, cinnamon, and warm spices. Perfect for cold nights and holiday gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) red wine (medium-bodied like Merlot, Zinfandel, or fruity Cabernet Sauvignon)
  • 1 large orange (juice and peel)
  • 3–4 cinnamon sticks
  • 6–8 whole cloves
  • 2–3 whole star anise pods (optional)
  • 2–3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 2–3 thin slices fresh ginger (optional)
  • Optional splash of brandy or cognac

Instructions

  1. Prep your orange (2 minutes): Wash the orange well. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 4-5 wide strips of peel (just the orange part, avoid white pith). Juice the orange into a small bowl (about 1/4 cup juice). Set both peel and juice aside.
  2. Combine the base ingredients (1 minute): Pour the entire bottle of wine into a medium saucepan. Add the orange juice, honey (start with 2 tablespoons), cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, and orange peel strips. If using fresh ginger slices, add them too.
  3. Heat gently, don’t boil (10 minutes): Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges and steam rises (about 160-170°F). Do not boil. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to help the honey dissolve.
  4. Taste and adjust (1 minute): After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Ladle a small amount into a mug and taste. Add more honey if needed, let steep longer for more spice, or add more orange juice to brighten.
  5. Strain or serve (1 minute): Either fish out whole spices with a spoon or pour through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof pitcher or directly into mugs.
  6. Serve immediately: Ladle into mugs and garnish with a fresh cinnamon stick or thin orange slice. Add a splash of brandy to each mug before pouring if desired.

Notes

Do not boil the wine to avoid bitterness and loss of alcohol. Start with less sweetener and adjust to taste. Toasting spices in the dry pan for 30-60 seconds before adding wine deepens flavor. For a crowd, keep warm in a slow cooker on low for 2-3 hours. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and reheated gently.

Nutrition

Keywords: mulled wine, easy mulled wine, spiced wine, Christmas drink, winter beverage, red wine, cinnamon, orange, cloves, star anise

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/easy-mulled-wine-with-orange-and-cinnamon/