Gingerbread Spiced Mulled Wine

front shot of mulled wine in two glass mugs on white tray with christmas village and white flowers behind, gingerbread cookies around, whole spices, and cranberries beside

Gingerbread Spiced Mulled Wine

Perfectly balanced between sweet and spiced, warming, extra boozy, and so delicious! This Gingerbread Spiced Mulled Wine tastes just like a gingerbread cookie, but even better. Perfect for holiday entertaining or just to sip on during the winter!

Course: Cocktails

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Calories: 354kcal

Ingredients

1⅓ cups water
¾ cup brown sugar firmly packed
1 Tablespoon molasses
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole allspice berries
1 pod star anise
7 whole cloves
6 pods cardamon
3 inch piece ginger peeled and sliced
2 whole oranges juiced
½ lemon juiced
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon

Instructions

Crack cardamom and remove seeds.
In a 2 quart pot, combine water, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon sticks, allspice, star anise, cloves, cardamom seeds, ginger, orange juice, and lemon juice.
Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
Add wine and heat through.

Notes

Substitutions:

If you do not have individual whole spices, you can buy mulling spices, but it may not taste as gingerbread-y as it should,
Store-bought orange juice and lemon juice can be used, if needed, but it really is best to use fresh if you can.
Any dark, full bodied, cheap red wine should work. Merlot or Zinfandel is great if you do not have a jammy Cabernet Sauvignon.

Expert Tips:

When it comes to wine, make sure to use a cheap, fruit forward, and jammy Cabernet Sauvignon!
If you're not a fan of star anise, you can leave it out without any issues.
Be sure to discard the shells after cracking open the cardamom pods! Personally, I pop them on the counter with my hand to open them, but you can use a knife. Just be careful!
Don't forget to peel and slice your ginger!
When making the syrup, do not let it boil. You don't want it to burn!
After adding the wine, simply keep the heat on low and stir occasionally. It typically takes about 2 minutes for the wine to heat through all the way.
Use a fine meshed sieve to strain the mulled wine into your mugs before serving!
Have fun with the decorating when you serve! Try orange twists, cinnamon sticks, slices of orange, fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, or even gingerbread cookies.

Nutrition