Brandy Mulled Wine Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What kind of wine is best for mulled wine? ›

The best red wines for mulled wines taste bright and fresh, such as Grenache, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, fruit-forward Pinot Noir. Inexpensive Bordeaux is another great choice for mulled wine; in fact, claret was a traditional choice for British mulled wine in William Shakespeare's day.

Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commandaria wine, and the aromatised wine vermouth.

Ainsley Harriott recommends mulling wines in a slow cooker and says two hours at low temperature gives excellent results and should retain most alcohol content.

Brandy: Similar to sangria, it's also traditional to spike your mulled wine with an extra bit of liqueur. Brandy is the traditional choice, but Cointreau (or another orange liqueur) or tawny port are also delicious alternatives.

Just like with the best wines for sangria, the wines you choose for mulled wine don't need to be fancy (you'll be adding other ingredients to it anyway so there's no need to break the bank on an expensive bottle).

Red wines are traditionally used to make mulled wine, and while any red wine can work, sweet reds will give you a nice, sweet base, meaning less sugar added in later. If you use a dry red, keep in mind you may need to add more sugar than a recipe calls for.

Port-style

A neutral grape-based spirit, often an unoaked brandy, is added to a red-wine fermentation in order to arrest the fermentation prior to completion . . . in other words, making sure fermentation will stall out. This leaves some residual sugar in the final product to balance out the intensity from the alcohol.

In Germany, the term Branntwein refers to any distilled spirits, while Weinbrand refers specifically to distilled wine from grapes. In the general colloquial usage of the term, brandy may also be made from pomace and from fermented fruit other than grapes.

At its core, fortified wine is about enhancement and preservation. By adding a distilled spirit, usually grape brandy, winemakers not only increase the alcohol content but also introduce a new dimension of flavor. This process, dating back centuries, was initially a way to stabilize wine for long voyages.

You need to infuse the wine long enough with the spices to take on their flavour but DON'T ON ANY ACCOUNT LET THE MIXTURE BOIL as you'll be left with a bitter taste. Slow and low is the way to go. And it shouldn't be served piping hot, just comfortably - and comfortingly - warm.

Can you overheat mulled wine? ›

Be careful not to over heat or boil the mixture. Since alcohol evaporates at 172 degrees which is much lower than water you would be left with a non-alcoholic version of mulled wine and that defeats the purpose.

In short, yes, some of the alcohol burns off when boiling mulled wine, but you should only be gently bringing up to the boil and simmering for around 15-30 minutes which isn't enough time to completely remove all alcohol traces.

Traditionally, sangria is a red wine punch flavored with fruit and brandy. Though its Spanish origins date back hundreds of years, this punch really became a hit in the U.S. after it was featured at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.

Every cognac is a brandy, but not all brandy is a cognac. As previously mentioned, brandy is distilled fruit juice, and it can be any kind of fruit juice, while cognac is a specific type of distilled fruit juice with lots of qualifications.

How To Tell if Your Mulled Wine Has Gone Bad. Once opened, mulled wine is known to only maintain its quality for 3 to 5 days.

I've used Pinot Noir before to success. Honestly, whatever red wine that you're stuck with and you don't want to drink, they'll work. Just don't mix varietals, like one bottle Cabernet and one bottle Pinot Noir. Sugar or honey.

Mugs are not only perfectly acceptable for serving mulled wine, they're arguably the optimal choice. A typical wine glass is made of relatively thin glass, so if you put a hot beverage in it, they're going to be difficult to hold, especially if they're stemless.

Both wines are flavored with apple cider, some vanilla bean, an assortment of spices and fruit. The red is sweetened with a touch of maple syrup (YES!) while the white is sweetened with some honey and ginger.

Appropriate Glassware: Use heat-resistant glasses or mugs. Traditional glass wine goblets might crack with the heat, so opt for thicker, sturdier glasses or even festive mugs. Garnishing: Enhance the presentation by adding a cinnamon stick or an orange slice as a garnish.