By Rebekah Peppler, The New York Times
Cold weather makes a near universal case for hot drinks. Add in a festive season and mulled wine quickly enters the chat.
The heady, warming drink dates to Roman antiquity and remains a seasonal staple. In markets across Europe, steaming mugs have various monikers — “vin chaud” in France, “glogg” in Sweden, “glühwein” in Austria and Germany — frequently made by heating together red wine, a sweetener such as sugar or honey, and spices. Some are fortified with boozier spirits, others dotted with plump dried fruits and nuts, and often the fragrant result smells better than it tastes.
To avoid a potpourri-adjacent drink, reconsider what it means to mull in the first place. To resort briefly to a timeworn wedding toast opener: Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines the word “mull” as a transitive verb, meaning “to heat, sweeten and flavor with spices (wine, cider, ale, etc.).” While classic mulling spices — cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, allspice, star anise — tend toward the baking set, the act of mulling refers less to a static mix of spices and more to the technique.
But a shift toward less-obvious choices opens up a modern world of mulling: Earthy, tart and often relegated to savory applications, whole coriander seeds impart a citrusy, floral flavor and fragrance. A smattering of black peppercorns infuse them with darker fruit notes as well as heat. Bay leaves add an herbal, aromatic flavor.
Diaspora Co., a spice company, uses fennel seeds in its chai masala, which lend a warm sweetness. “It’s a nontraditional addition,” said Sana Javeri Kadri, Diaspora’s founder and chief executive, “but we found that when you have that anise-y sweetness you actually end up needing less sugar.”
Opt for fresh, whole spices rather than preground, as they retain more of their oil content, which Javeri Kadri says is central to unlocking deep flavor. “I would compare a fresh spice to a peak-season tomato,” she said. “You’re getting it at its maximum potential.” To fully activate that depth, warm your spices; she recommends dry-toasting them before adding any liquid to draw out as much flavor as possible. While mulled wine often uses red, switching to white results in a lighter, brighter drink. This recipe features a combination of dry white wine and blanc vermouth warmed with toasted coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, allspice and bay leaves. A final, fortifying pour of elderflower liqueur feels elegant and festive while adding a layer of sweetness.
And don’t stop at mulling wine. This modernized take on mulled cider uses with coriander, black pepper, cloves, star anise, ginger and cardamom pods, both seeds and green casing, lightly crushed. “A lot of the menthol-y and slightly grassier, more herbal notes actually live in the pod,” Javeri Kadri said. Lastly, an unorthodox — and optional — pour of fruity, tropical pineapple juice, feels both fresh and familiar. Serve as is, or stir in an ounce of whiskey or amaro just before drinking.
Or mull your next beer. The use of more traditional mulling spices, including cinnamon, allspice, cloves and star anise, pulls the lesser-known beverage toward the familiar, while maple syrup helps take off the bitter edge. A spirited pour of cognac lifts the booziness, and an ounce of fresh orange juice helps to both sweeten and brighten the hot brew.
Inherently batched, pots of mulled wine, cider or beer lend themselves perfectly to entertaining: The drink is ready when guests arrive and perfumes the house long before their entrance. To make hosting even easier, Javeri Kadri recommends keeping your mulled drink warm in the slow cooker, imbuing the occasion with “very hippy ’70s mom vibes, but it works.”
Mulled White Wine
By Rebekah Peppler
This lighter, brighter take on mulled wine is both festive and modern, made with white wine rather than the more traditional red. The mulling spices stray away from the expected baking variety and include toasted coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel, allspice and bay. Blanc vermouth, elderflower liqueur and honey gently sweeten and layer flavors, while a final addition of lime juice adds a fresh pop of acidity.
Yield: About 6 cups (6 to 8 servings)
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 6 whole allspice berries
- 2 (750-milliliter) bottles dry white wine
- 1 cup/8 ounces blanc vermouth
- 1/4 cup/2 ounces honey, preferably acacia or a lighter honey
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup/2 ounces elderflower liqueur
- 2 tablespoons/1 ounce fresh lime juice
Preparation
1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat, add the coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds and allspice. Toast, stirring frequently, until the spices are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the wine, vermouth, honey, and bay leaves to the pan. Stir, bring to a simmer, then adjust the heat to low and continue to very gently simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the mulled wine through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids and return to the pan. Stir in the elderflower liqueur and lime juice, and serve warm.
Mulled Beer
By Rebekah Peppler
Flipping the idea of a cold one on its head, mulled beer is served hot and infused with fragrant warming spices — cinnamon, allspice, clove and star anise — with maple syrup for sweetness, cognac for fortification and orange (in both peel and juice form) for brightness. The resulting drink is festive and warming, ideal for cold weather celebrations. When choosing a beer to mull, reach for something that isn’t too bitter or hoppy, such as a Belgian-style wheat ale (witbier), Hefeweizen or a low-hop amber ale.
Yield: About 5 1/2 cups (6 to 8 servings)
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cinnamon sticks, lightly crushed
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 whole star anise pod
- 2 (750-milliliter) bottles beer, preferably something not too bitter or hoppy such as a Belgian-style wheat ale (witbier), Hefeweizen or a low-hop amber ale
- Peel of 1 orange
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons/1 1/2 ounces cognac
- 2 tablespoons/1 ounce fresh orange juice
Preparation
1. In a large Dutch oven or pot set over medium-high heat, add the cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves and star anise. Toast, stirring frequently, until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add the beer to the pan (it will foam up quite a bit; adding gradually helps). Stir in the orange peel and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer, then adjust the heat to low and continue to very gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Strain the mulled beer through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids and return to the pan. Stir in the cognac and orange juice and heat just until warmed through; serve warm.
Mulled Cider
By Rebekah Peppler
A far cry from often overly sweet, heavily scented mulled ciders, this contemporary version combines apple cider with cardamom, coriander, black pepper, cloves, star anise and fresh ginger. The optional (but highly recommended) addition of pineapple juice introduces tropical, fruity notes, while fresh lemon juice and a small pinch of salt help temper the apple cider’s inherent sweetness. If you prefer your mulled cider spiked, add a splash of whiskey, Calvados, rum, cognac or amaro to individual mugs.
Yield: About 7 cups (about 8 to 10 servings)
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 whole star anise pods
- 8 cups/1/2 gallon quality apple cider, preferably unfiltered
- 1/4 cup/2 ounces pineapple juice (optional)
- 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- Peel of 1 lemon
- 2 bay leaves
- Pinch of flaky sea salt
- 2 tablespoons/1 ounce fresh lemon juice
Preparation
1. In a large Dutch oven or pot set over medium-high heat, add the crushed cardamom pods, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves and star anise. Toast, stirring frequently, until the spices are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the apple cider, pineapple juice (if using), ginger, lemon peel, bay leaves and salt to the pan. Bring to a simmer, then adjust the heat to low and continue to gently simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Strain the mulled cider through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids and return to the pan. Stir in the lemon juice; serve warm.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.