German Glühwein (Mulled Red Wine)

Name: German Glühwein (Mulled Red Wine)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 2 bottles (750 ml each) (1500 ml) dry fruity red wine, at room temperature; 2 medium (400 g) oranges, scrubbed; 1 orange cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds, the other juiced (about ½ cup / 120 ml juice); 3 sticks (3-inch / 7.5 cm) (10 g) cinnamon sticks, whole; 8 whole (1 g) whole cloves, whole; 2 whole pods (2 g) star anise pods, whole; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, plus extra to taste; 4 tablespoons (60 ml) orange liqueur or brandy, added at the end (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A classic German Christmas-market Glühwein: dry red wine gently infused with orange, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and a little sugar. Warming, fragrant and never boiled, so the alcohol and bright flavors stay intact.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 40 min
Makes: About 6 cups (1.4 liters), 6 servings of 8 fl oz (235 ml)

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Steps

Before you start

Choose a fruity, dry red wine you'd happily drink, such as Merlot, Dornfelder or Pinot Noir. Skip expensive bottles and very tannic wines.
Wash the oranges well under warm water, since the peel goes into the pot.
Never let the wine boil. Boiling cooks off alcohol and makes the spices bitter. Keep the heat low and watch for steam, not bubbles.
Use a non-reactive pot (stainless steel, enamel or ceramic), not aluminum or unlined copper.

1
Prepare the oranges
- Scrub both oranges.
- Cut one into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds.
- Halve and juice the other to get about ½ cup (120 ml) juice.
- Remove any seeds from the juice.
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Ready when: You have about 6 orange rounds and ½ cup juice.
Tip: Pick out seeds, which taste bitter when heated.
2
Make spiced syrup
- In a 3-quart (3 L) non-reactive pot, combine the orange juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise.
- Warm over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture looks like a loose, fragrant syrup.
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Ready when: No sugar granules remain and the spices smell strongly aromatic.
Tip: Toasting the spices briefly in juice wakes up their flavor before the wine goes in.
3
Add wine and oranges
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Pour in both bottles of wine and add the orange rounds.
- Stir once to combine.
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Ready when: Wine is evenly mixed with the syrup and the oranges float on top.
4
Warm gently
- Heat uncovered over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- The wine should steam and feel very hot but never bubble or simmer vigorously.
- Ideal temperature is 140–160°F (60–70°C).
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Ready when: Steam rises steadily, the surface barely shivers, and the aroma of cinnamon, orange and clove is strong.
Tip: If you see bubbles at the edge, pull the pot off the heat for a minute. Boiling makes the wine harsh and bitter.
5
Taste and adjust
- Taste a spoonful (careful, it's hot).
- If you want it sweeter, stir in extra sugar 1 tablespoon (12 g) at a time until dissolved.
- Stir in the orange liqueur or brandy, if using, and warm 1 minute more.
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Ready when: Balanced: warmly sweet, with the wine's fruit and spices all present.
Tip: Add alcohol at the end so it isn't cooked off.
6
Strain and serve
- Ladle the wine through a fine-mesh strainer into heatproof mugs, discarding the spices, or lift out the whole spices with a slotted spoon and serve with an orange round in each mug.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Wine is clear of cloves and spice bits and steaming hot.
Tip: Warm the mugs with hot water first so the drink stays hot longer.

Good to know

Tips

Use whole spices, not ground, so the wine stays clear and doesn't turn gritty or bitter.
Don't leave the orange rounds in for more than 30 minutes, as the white pith becomes bitter.
For a stronger spice flavor, let the strained wine sit off heat with the spices for 15 extra minutes before reheating.
Serve with gingerbread, Lebkuchen or roasted nuts for a market-style treat.

Make ahead

"Make the recipe through step 4, strain, and cool. Refrigerate up to 3 days, then reheat gently over low heat until steaming. Alternatively keep warm in a slow cooker on the 'warm' setting for up to 3 hours."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours while serving. Fridge: strained, in a covered container up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended. Reheat in a pot over low heat until steaming, never boiling, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts."

Substitutions

granulated sugar → honey or maple syrup. Use 5 tablespoons (about 100 g) and stir in off the heat to preserve flavor.
dry fruity red wine → non-alcoholic red grape juice with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Use 1.5 liters grape juice for an alcohol-free version; reduce sugar to 2 tablespoons and heat the same way.
orange liqueur or brandy → amaretto or dark rum. Same amount; amaretto adds a gentle almond sweetness.
star anise pods → 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed. Gives a different but equally warm aromatic note.