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Spiced Mulled Wine and Grape Juice
When you need to please a mixed crowd at your next winter gathering, this clever two-way recipe is the answer. You'll create a single warming spiced syrup base infused with cinnamon, cloves, and bright citrus zest. From there, the batch splits in half. One part mixes with red wine for a classic mulled drink, while the other uses red grape juice for a comforting alcohol-free version. It's a brilliant way to offer something special for everyone without doing double the prep work.
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 500g/1lb 2oz sugar
- 16 cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 6 lemons, thinly sliced
- 3 orange zest strips
- 2 × 75cl bottles red wine
- 1.5 litres/2¾ pints red grape juice
Instructions
- 1Dissolve the sugar in 1 liter of water in a large pan over moderate heat. Stir in the cloves and cinnamon sticks, bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 2Turn off the heat and add the sliced lemons and orange zest strips. Adding the citrus off the heat prevents the bitter pith from ruining the syrup.
- 3Let the spiced syrup stand for about 30 minutes to steep the flavors. Strain the liquid to remove the solids, then allow it to cool and chill completely.
- 4Pour equal amounts of the chilled syrup into two separate pans. Pour the red wine into the first pan and the red grape juice into the second pan.
- 5Heat both pans gently over low heat, making sure neither liquid comes to a boil. Boiling will cook off the alcohol in the wine and muddy the fresh fruit flavors.
- 6Transfer the warmed drinks into separate heatproof jugs. Pour into individual glasses and garnish with fresh twists of orange zest.
Notes
- Safety: Ensure the liquid isn't boiling hot when pouring into glass vessels so they don't crack.
- Garnish: Thread fresh citrus twists onto cocktail sticks for an elegant presentation.
- Make ahead: You can prepare and chill the spiced syrup up to 3 days in advance.