Made with warm red wine and a variety of spices, Glühwein consumption peaks during this time of year, as not only warms us up, but also its smells and aromas are instinctually linked to these festive days – cinnamon and cloves, orange and honey are all flavours and aromas that ‘scream’ of Christmas spirit!
Ingredients (5-6 portions):
- 1 bottle of Playiá Cuvée Spéciale
- Cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 250 gr. honey
- Cloves
- 1 orange
- 2 oranges, sliced
- 100 gr. ginger (sliced or grated – depends if you enjoy the pieces in your beverage; you can always remove before serving)
Optional ingredients:
- ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
- 3-4 cardamom pods
- 2 tsps rosemary
- Raisins or cranberries
- Blanched almonds
Preparation:
- Pour the Playiá Cuvée Spéciale into a saucepan and add the orange with 8-10 cloves nailed on it, the honey, ginger, star anise and if you want, the nutmeg, cardamom and/or rosemary.
- Heat over medium heat until it warms through, but don’t let it boil because the alcohol will evaporate.
- Remove it from the heat and let it sit covered for 20 minutes.
- Remove the spices and serve. Add to each glass a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick, if desired.
- If you want to give your beverage a more Christmas look, you can add raisins or cranberries and almonds.
- Mulled wine can be a great gift, as it not only compliments the Christmas spirit, but also proves your thought and care, as it takes personal effort to prepare! Follow the recipe and then pour the mulled wine in a nice clean glass jar or bottle and decorate with colourful ribbons, cinnamon sticks and dried orange slices to impress!
