Nothing screams holiday cheer like a good cup of mulled wine. This soothing blend of warm wine, fruit, and spices has been around for centuries, and for a good reason. Its spices, heat, and alcohol content warm the drinker from the inside out, making it an ideal wintertime holiday drink.

Mulled Wine: A Festive History

The phenomenon of mulled wine began with the Roman Empire as a way to keep warm during the winter. They also believed, as did many at the time, that the spices in mulled wine helped ward off illness and disease. Though mulled wine soon became popular throughout Europe, the only place that the drink truly stuck around during the Middle Ages was in Sweden. The Swedes adopted the Roman tradition and made it their own over the next several hundred years. In the late 19th century, after years of Swedish culture and holiday cheer, mulled wine began to be associated with Christmas. It’s not surprising, then, that the association and popularity grew from there.

Making Your Own: Choosing Your Wine

Mulled wine isn’t very hard to make, but it does require a variety of ingredients. The first of these ingredients, you may have guessed, is wine. One upside to this beverage is that it doesn’t require fancy or even good wine. An inexpensive bottle will do just fine once it’s combined with the rest of the components. Red wine is overwhelmingly the most common type of wine to use, but it is certainly possible to make it with white wine if you wish. Chardonnay is a good bet for a white.

Choosing Your Spices

A nice aspect of mulled wine is that you are free to experiment as you wish. Don’t like an ingredient? Skip it. Really like cloves? Add extra. It’s really up to you what your mulled wine tastes like. Here’s a pretty standard (but delicious) blend of spices to use:

● Cloves

● Cinnamon sticks

● Cardamom

● Allspice

● Nutmeg

Other Ingredients

Aside from spices and wine, you’ll need some fruit and some liquor. Orange or tangerines are a must-have to achieve that familiar taste, but if you’re feeling extra fruity, it’s delicious to add apples or lemons as well. The fruit you choose should be fresh and thoroughly washed before use. Brandy is commonly used for the liquor, though rum and vodka can be used if you prefer. Approximately ¼ cup of liquor per bottle of wine should suffice.

The Final Step

Once you’ve assembled your ingredients, making the wine is a breeze. Cut the fruit and put it with the wine and spices into a pot; simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Prefer to walk away and forget? Put the ingredients in a slow cooker on low achieves a similar effect. If you prefer not to strain the spices before you drink, wrap them in cheesecloth before putting them into the pot.

Warm yourself as the Romans did with some mulled wine this holiday season. Payless Liquors is here for all your mulled wine needs. Order in advance for guaranteed supply on this and all of your 2020 holiday drinks!