Brandy Mulled Wine Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does brandy go in mulled wine? ›

Brandy: Similar to sangria, it's also traditional to spike your mulled wine with an extra bit of liqueur. Brandy is the traditional choice, but Cointreau (or another orange liqueur) or tawny port are also delicious alternatives.

Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commandaria wine, and the aromatised wine vermouth.

The best red wine to use for mulled wine is Merlot, Zinfandel or Garnacha (also called Grenache). These wines are dark, fruity and full bodied, which means they can support all of the flavors we'll be adding. Look for labels that describe the wine as “jammy” or with “notes of vanilla.”

Ainsley Harriott recommends mulling wines in a slow cooker and says two hours at low temperature gives excellent results and should retain most alcohol content.

Basically what that means is that if you start with a 14% wine and want to acheive about a 20% Port-style wine, expect to add roughly 4 to 5 bottles of brandy.

At its core, fortified wine is about enhancement and preservation. By adding a distilled spirit, usually grape brandy, winemakers not only increase the alcohol content but also introduce a new dimension of flavor. This process, dating back centuries, was initially a way to stabilize wine for long voyages.

Every cognac is a brandy, but not all brandy is a cognac. As previously mentioned, brandy is distilled fruit juice, and it can be any kind of fruit juice, while cognac is a specific type of distilled fruit juice with lots of qualifications.

Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 or 3 full days. The longer it sits, the more infused it will become. For more delicate flavors like lemon and mint, wait 3 days if possible. You're able to let the liquor infuse for up to 5 days.

Brandy has a fruity and subtly sweet taste. It can also have flavor notes of oak since it is typically aged in wooden casks. The taste of brandy becomes more mellow and complex as it ages—brandy that is less than two years old is considered unaged, while brandies that are more than two years old are considered mature.

Just like with the best wines for sangria, the wines you choose for mulled wine don't need to be fancy (you'll be adding other ingredients to it anyway so there's no need to break the bank on an expensive bottle).

What is the best cheap red wine for mulled wine? ›

The best red wines for mulled wines taste bright and fresh, such as Grenache, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, fruit-forward Pinot Noir. Inexpensive Bordeaux is another great choice for mulled wine; in fact, claret was a traditional choice for British mulled wine in William Shakespeare's day.

Method. Put the red wine, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, lemon zest and sugar in a large pan. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins. Remove from the heat and cool, leaving to infuse for about 30 mins.

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.

Be careful not to overcook as the wine will reduce. Remove pan from heat. Cover and steep until well-flavored. We recommend letting it steep 5 to 10 minutes.

Mulled Wine Recipe

Just be careful that you don't boil the wine or leave it on the heat for an extended period – otherwise all the alcohol will burn off. If you feel like making a version with a bit more complexity, many people also add sloe gin, brandy or orange liqueur to their mulled wine.

One general rule is one 750ml bottle of brandy to 1 gallon of wine. This would bump your 13% wine up to around 18%. If you have one gallon sitting there you might try this ratio in a small trial. Then if you like it you can dump in the brandy.

Brandy combined with warm water has long been used as a home treatment for keeping the body warm, but it's also thought to help with health issues if used in moderation. Its name originated from the Dutch meaning “burnt wine,” which is most likely related to the extraction process.

Whether you want to drink wine before or after liquor doesn't make a difference. Mixing the two shouldn't make you sick and they don't interact. So, the famous rhyme that you've heard from others doesn't actually have any scientific basis. The caveat to that is the amount of alcohol you're drinking.