5 Mulled Wine Recipes to Sip By the Fire

If standing over the stove watching a pot simmer isn’t your style, or maybe you’d just like to come home from work to a steaming hot pot of mulled wine, break out the slow cooker to make your beverage. This version combines a mid-range bottle of red wine (something you’d like to drink, but not something too expensive!) with citrus peels, whole warming spices, fresh ginger and brown sugar to make a sweet-and-spicy beverage that will warm you from the inside out. You can keep this in the slow cooker on low for a few hours, then serve warm with fresh slices of orange. Recipe here!

For tea lovers, this toasty drink will surely hit the spot. This mulled wine recipe includes tea bags along with citrus and spices for an extra-cozy touch. Orange juice brightens up the drink, and you only need to warm up the ingredients on the stove for about 15 minutes until the mulled wine is ready. 

If you love the cinnamon and apple flavors popular in late fall and winter, you’ll love this twist on mulled wine, made with your favorite white wine. Cinnamon whiskey adds a nice dose of heat to the sweet apple cider and fruit-forward wine in the recipe, then the usual warming spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom are added into the pot. You can simply simmer the ingredients together until warm or longer for a richer flavor. Recipe here!

Like your favorite afternoon latte, but better, this mulled wine is enhanced with vanilla chai for a unique taste. Chai adds even more spice to the cinnamon and star anise in this recipe, and the spices are balanced out by citrus, brown sugar and the vanilla. For a stronger vanilla flavor, add fresh vanilla beans to the simmering pot. While this recipe calls for a red wine, these flavors would also work well in a white mulled wine, too. Recipe here!

Just about everyone at your holiday gatherings can enjoy this non-alcoholic version of mulled wine, which is also vegan-friendly, gluten-free and lactose-free. The recipe mimics the rich flavors of wine with a blend of pomegranate, red grape and apple juices (and you can also add a little cranberry juice here if you like). The juices are simmered with orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg, and you can add additional ingredients like lemon or star anise depending on your taste preferences. This one is sure to be a hit at your next holiday party. Recipe here!