Mulled Wine (Wassail Recipe) (2024)

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Mulled Wine Recipe (Wassail Recipe)– You’ve got to try this delicious Wassail Recipe for the holidays this year! Made with red wine, juices, fragrant spices, and vanilla.

Mulled Wine (Wassail Recipe) (1)

When’s the last time you had a hot steaming cup of homemade wassail?

If your answer isnever, or even over a year ago, this is your moment. Don’t miss it!

Mulled wine, also known as wassail, is a hot holiday punch meant to warm the belly and spirit at the same time.

It’s rich and dark with layer upon layer of festive flavor, starting with red wine, apple cider, orange juice, fresh fruit, and aromatic spices.

I like to add a vanilla bean to my wassail recipe because I feel it mellows the wine, helping it to blend seamlessly with the spices.

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Ingredients Checklist for this Mulled Wine Recipe

  • 2 bottles of fruity red wine, like a rioja, pinot noir, or merlot
  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 2 1/2 cups orange juice
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 cups frozen pitted cherries
  • 1 large apple, sliced thin into rounds
  • 1 large orange, sliced thin into rounds with the orange peel intact for flavor
  • 1 piece fresh ginger (2 inches), sliced
  • 8-10 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 vanilla bean, cut open from end to end
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
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How To Make Mulled Wine

Crock Pot Instructions

Place all ingredients in a large slow cooker. Cover and turn on high for at least 3 hours, or on low for at least 5 hours.

Ladle the hot mulled wine into glasses or mugs. Garnish with the fruit and cinnamon sticks.

Stovetop Directions

Place all ingredients in a large sauce pot/saucepan over high heat, not medium heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Cover and allow the mixture to steep until ready to serve.

Get The Full (Printable) Mulled Wine Wassail Recipe Below.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make This Alcohol Free?

Cooking the wine does eliminate some of the alcohol, but not all, making it a nicelightboozy beverage for the grownups at your holiday gatherings.

Make sure to check out mynon-alcoholic wassail recipefor the kids!

Is It Possible to Mull Wine Without Losing Any of the Alcohol?

The lower the heat is, the less chance the alcohol will evaporate. So in order to keep the alcohol content high, set your slow cooker on LOW.

Is it possible to make a concentrate ahead of time?

You can make it up to a week in advance. You can store the leftovers of your Christmas spiced wine co*cktail recipe in the refrigerator for 7 to 9 days.

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Great Dessert Pairings

  • Bourbon Kentucky Derby Pie
  • How to Make the Best Orange Julius with Orange Slices
  • Orange Cranberry Bread With Fresh Cranberries
  • Best Lemon Bars
  • Cream Cheese Pound Cake
  • Darjeeling Milk Punch with brandy and nutmeg
  • Mexican Bread Pudding Recipe with allspice

Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.

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Print Recipe

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Mulled Wine (Wassail Recipe)

Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 3 minutes minutes

You’ve got to try this delicious Mulled Wine (Wassail Recipe) for the holidays this year! Made with red wine, juices, fragrant spices, and vanilla.

Servings: 12

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

  • 2 bottles fruity red wine, like a rioja or pinot noir (750ml-bottles)
  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 2 1/2 cups orange juice
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 cups frozen pitted cherries
  • 1 large apple, sliced thin into rounds
  • 1 large orange, sliced thin into rounds
  • 1 piece fresh ginger (2 inches), sliced
  • 8-10 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 vanilla bean, cut open from end to end
  • 1 teaspoon cloves

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a large slow cooker. Cover and turn on high for at least 3 hours, or on low for at least 5 hours.

  • Ladle the hot mulled wine into glasses or mugs. Garnish with the fruit and cinnamon sticks.

Video

Notes

STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: Place all ingredients in a large sauce pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Cover and allow the mixture to steep until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 137kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 0g, Fat: 0g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 4mg, Potassium: 287mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 29g, Vitamin A: 160IU, Vitamin C: 34.8mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 0.6mg

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

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Mulled Wine (Wassail Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between wassail and mulled wine? ›

There are very few differences between mulled cider and Wassail Punch. Both contain spices and some juice. One of the main differences is that mulled wine is often made with whole oranges. However, Wassail is traditionally made with apple juice.

What wine is best for mulled wine? ›

Best Easy to Find

“I like to use a red wine that is lower in tannins so as to not take away from the holiday spices, such as grenache or full-bodied pinot noir,” says Strong, noting that finding a bottle with soft fruit flavors and lively acidity is key.

What is wassail drink made of? ›

What is Wassail? Wassail is like the tastier sister to Apple Cider. Traditional wassail was made with hard liquor, apples, brandy, and other spices. This recipe is made with cloves, apples, cinnamon, lemon, orange, ginger, and nutmeg and is a nonalcoholic wassail recipe.

How do you jazz up a bottle of mulled wine? ›

Here are a few fun ways to garnish the mulled wine:
  1. Drop in a cinnamon stick.
  2. Drop in an orange slice.
  3. Dot cloves into orange peels and drop the studded peel in.
  4. Drop in whole spices (like star anise)
  5. Drop in a few cherries or brightly-coloured berries.
Nov 5, 2022

What does wassail mean in English? ›

: an early English toast to someone's health. 2. : a hot drink that is made with wine, beer, or cider, spices, sugar, and usually baked apples and is traditionally served in a large bowl especially at Christmastime. 3. : riotous drinking : revelry.

What is special about mulled wine? ›

Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas.

Can you use cheap wine for mulled wine? ›

Leftover wine, boxed wine, $6 wine — that's all fine here. But if you're putting some thought into it, opt for a fuller-bodied, lower-tannin red. Mulled wine is not a delicate beverage, so I wouldn't choose a delicate wine like Pinot Noir or Gamay as the base.

Is mulled wine more alcoholic than wine? ›

The heat used in mulling encourages greater flavours from the citrus and the spices but also reduces the alcohol content, hence the common addition of a slug of spirit or liqueur just before serving.

How long does mulled wine keep? ›

TO STORE: Let your mulled wine cool completely, then pour it into an airtight storage container and place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm mulled wine in a large pot on the stovetop over low heat, or pour leftovers into your slow cooker and reheat on LOW until warm.

What are the two types of wassailing? ›

The tradition of wassailing (alt sp wasselling) falls into two distinct categories: the house-visiting wassail and the orchard-visiting wassail.

Why do people drink wassail? ›

By wassailing their crops in the winter, it was said to ensure a healthy crop in the spring. As Christianity began to spread, this ritual evolved further into singing and drinking to the health of next season's crops on Twelfth Night; the last night of the traditional Christmas season.

What is in Trader Joe's wassail? ›

A sweetened blend of black currant, apple, and lemon juices, with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and orange peel, Trader Joe's Winter Wassail is a fruit punch whose flavors and aromas evoke the holidays. You can serve it chilled, over ice with bourbon; or warmed, in a big mug, with a cinnamon stick garnish.

Why does my mulled wine taste bad? ›

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 drink mulled wine straight from the bottle? ›

Yes. Even though the spiced wine is heated, most of the alcohol remains.

Why is my mulled wine so bitter? ›

'Remember not to boil the liquid at any point, otherwise you'll burn off the alcohol and make your mulled wine taste bitter. '

Is wassail mulled wine? ›

Mulled wine, also known as wassail, is a hot holiday punch meant to warm the belly and spirit at the same time.

What is another name for mulled wine? ›

Mulled wine goes by many names—spiced wine, hot wine, glögg, glühwein, and vin chaud are a few I hear used interchangeably. As far as I know, they all essentially refer to the same drink, although the spices and booze of choice may vary depending on the region.

What is the traditional name for mulled wine? ›

This traditional homemade mulled wine recipe is incredibly easy to make and always SO cozy and delicious. Also known as glühwein, vino caliente, glögg, vin brulé, bisschopswijn, vin chaud, candola, vinho quente…or literally a hundred other names, depending on where in the world life may find you.

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