They say that smell is the most powerful of the five senses in terms of evoking memory and emotion, and there’s simply nothing beats the heady aromas of mulled wine to remind everyone that Christmas has officially started.
This is our tried and tested recipe at home. For the wine, we’ve suggested our house red, the Cuvée Jean-Paul Rouge, but any red wine that’s medium-bodied, fruity and preferably unoaked will do the job just fine.
Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
good pinch grated nutmeg
1 orange, halved and thickly sliced
30g/1oz demerara sugar
1 bottle Cuvée Jean-Paul Rouge
1 shot (30ml/1oz) Brandy
Throw all the dry ingredients into a large saucepan with just a splash of the wine and heat until the sugar is dissolved, add the remaining wine and the shot of brandy and heat until simmering.
Don’t boil and don’t leave on the heat too long, and add a taste more sugar if desired, but that’s it. Oh, some Irish coffee glasses to serve so you don’t burn your hands while cupping it to your nose and breathing in. Ahhh…
Comments are closed.