EAT/DRINK

COCKTAILS

Mulled wine is the perfect winter warmer to get you through the chillier months

Hello to you once again. I hope you are doing well and managed to enjoy my Rosella Mojito from the last issue. To keep life interesting I thought it would be glorious to find you something new and divine to enjoy.
We are firmly approaching the colder time of year here in Zimbabwe, so what would be a nice drink to have while you’re cuddled up at home, maybe watching your favourite show or hanging out with your friends? Personally, I am a huge fan of mulled wine.

A warm red wine-based drink, mulled wine can trace its origins back to Europe almost 2,000 years ago. Today there are so many different versions to try – some are made with white wine, other non-alcoholic sorts are made with red grape juice. There’s even a Polish version which has vodka added to it. Mulled wine is so popular that nearly 50 million litres are consumed in Germany every year.

Red wine is usually the base for mulled wine, and I would suggest that you use any affordable full-bodied red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot. You can use fruit wines or even white wine, but this isn’t as popular as the red wine.
Spice-wise, most people like cinnamon sticks and cloves, but star anise, vanilla beans, cardamom pods, juniper berries or allspice can be added as well. Remember to always use whole spice, not ground.

Citrus options are lemon or oranges and you can use both or either. I love to add some orange zest as it produces a remarkable aroma. Finally, you can sweeten the drink with sugars or even honey which is what was used originally.
Mulled wine is a such beautiful, comforting combination of wine, spices and citrus and can be consumed immediately or bottled and warmed up for whenever you need it.

Words by Asa Jogi

IG: @probar_263

Mulled wine can be traced back to the Roman Empire, to the year 20 AD, when it was called ‘Conditum Paradoxum’. To make it the Romans boiled honey in wine, then added dates and spices such as pepper, laurel and saffron

INGREDIENTS

1 bottle red wine
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
2 star anise
1 orange, cut into slices
Zest of half an orange
½ cup sugar (or more if you like it sweeter)


METHOD

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat until almost boiling (careful not to boil it otherwise you’ll lose the alcohol content). Reduce the heat and let it simmer for at least 15 minutes (or up to three hours). Strain over a fine mesh and remove and discard the other ingredients. Taste the mulled wine and add more sweetener if needed. Serve warm, and garnish with fresh orange and cinnamon sticks.