Glühwein (German Mulled Wine)

5 from 1 vote

Glühwein (German Mulled Wine) is a staple at German Christmas markets and so easy to make at home! Red wine is heated up with spices and served hot.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: German

Servings:

In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine red wine, orange slices, orange juice, spices, and vanilla bean. Heat until hot but don’t let it boil.
Add the sugar and rum and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Strain and serve hot.

Red wine: You can increase the amount of red wine to 1.5 liters without adjusting the other ingredients.
Vanilla: Adding a vanilla bean is a great way to add some vanilla flavor. Just scrape out the seeds and add them to the pot with the empty pod.
Sugar: Adjust the amount of sugar to your liking. Mulled wine shouldn't be too sweet. You can even leave out the sugar if you prefer but I recommend adding some sweetness.
Rum: The rum gives the mulled wine a stronger flavor, you can leave it out if you prefer. Instead of rum, you can also use Amaretto or Brandy.
Spices: Use whole spices, not powdered spices. You can also put the spices into a teabag to make it easier to remove them. Feel free to add 4-6 cardamom pods or some allspice berries with the other spices if you have them on hand.
Oranges: The oranges don't need to be peeled before slicing them. The orange peel is very flavorful.
Apples: Some Glühwein recipes also add apples to the mixture. I prefer to use only oranges.
Alcohol content: The alcohol won’t evaporate, if you’re looking for a nonalcoholic version check out my Kinderpunsch recipe
Slow cooker: You can also make this recipe in a slow cooker. Heat everything on LOW until hot, about 1 hour. Then switch to WARM and serve.