Glühwein: German Christmas Market Mulled Wine

Name: Glühwein: German Christmas Market Mulled Wine
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 1 bottle young red wine (750 ml), light and unoaked; 1 orange, sliced; 2 cinnamon sticks; 4 cloves; 2 star anise; 3 tbsp sugar or honey; Optional: 1 split vanilla pod; Optional: 50 ml rum or brandy, to add at the end

⏱ 35 min in total🔪 5 min prep🍳 30 min cooking🍽 6 portiesEasyGermanic

Glühwein is the spiced hot wine you drink from a mug at German Christmas markets: young red wine with orange, cinnamon, cloves and star anise. The one thing that decides the outcome: it must never boil — past 78 °C the alcohol evaporates and what is left is spiced juice, so you keep it steaming without a single bubble.

Ingredients

🍽 6 servings

1 bottle young red wine (750 ml), light and unoaked
1 orange, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
2 star anise
3 tbsp sugar or honey
Optional: 1 split vanilla pod
Optional: 50 ml rum or brandy, to add at the end

Method

1
Put the wine in a pan with the orange slices, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and sugar.
2
Heat over very low heat until it steams but no bubbles appear. If it boils, the alcohol is gone and the result changes completely: sweet and flat.
3
Hold it at that temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Time does the work — the longer it sits, the deeper the flavour, with no need for more heat.
4
Taste and adjust the sugar. Young wines need less than you would think.
5
Take off the heat, add the rum or brandy if using, and strain.
6
Serve very hot in mugs with a fresh slice of orange. It reheats fine, always without boiling.