German Mulled Wine (Glühwein)

If you’ve ever been to a traditional German Christmas market, you’ve almost certainly treated yourself to a big mug of German Mulled Wine or Glühwein.

This hearty drink is perfect for keeping any winter chill at bay and is ideal for gatherings over the holiday season.

Mulled wine is also super simple and economical to make at home, so keep reading for all the details!

What does Glühwein mean?

Glühwein simply translates as ‘Glow Wine’ and if you’ve ever imbibed a few mulled wines at a cold Christmas market, you’ll definitely understand the name! There’s nothing quite like a hot, spiced wine to warm you up from the inside out.

There is a good reason that every Christmas market in Europe is selling some variation at Christmas time. Whether you’re drinking Glögg in Scandinavia, Vin Chaud in France or Vin Brulé in Italy, everyone loves this delicious drink on a cold winter day.

How to make German Mulled Wine

Making Glühwein couldn’t be easier! You simply need to infuse the wine with spices like orange peel and cinnamon sticks and a little sweetener, then reheat and serve. 

I like to give mine a little extra kick by adding some rum or brandy, though it is optional.

Ingredients

To make my Gluhwein recipe you’ll need the following main ingredients:

• WINE: Don’t use your best wine for this recipe, a standard cheapish bottle will do just fine.
• ORANGE: Use organic or unsprayed oranges for the best and tastiest results. The orange slices will be floating around in the hot wine so you want them as clean and pesticide free as possible! If using lemon zest or lemon slices, be sure to remove any bitter white pith.
• SPICES: Traditional spices include whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Mix it up and add different spices if you like. Cardamom pods or juniper berries give the hot spiced wine a really interesting flavour. Be sure to use whole spices as ground or powdered spices will give the drink an unpleasant mouth feel.
• SWEETENER: Regular white Sugar, honey or brown sugar are all perfect in this recipe. Maple syrup is very tasty too!

Which wine should I use to make mulled wine?

Cheap stuff! Well, not the real gut-rot variety, but definitely not the top-shelf expensive wine. You’ll be masking the flavour of the wine with spices and sugar so don’t use anything too fancy.

As for variety, it’s best to stick with the standards, a merlot, pinot noir or cheap cabernet sauvignon or similar is best.

Can I make Glühwein without red wine?

• Yes! I love white mulled wine and in Munich, it is known as ‘Heisser Bischof’ or ‘Hot Bishop’! To make white mulled wine simply use a non-oaked white wine variety and use clear honey or white sugar instead to sweeten.
• If you‘re not a drinker try making the non-alcoholic version ‘Kinderpunsch’ with fruit juices instead. Apple juice, cherry or grape juice are all delicious, you’ll need to omit the added honey or sweetener as the juice is sweet enough.

What to serve with Gluhwein

Mulled wine is usually served standing up at the Christmas markets, so finger food is suitable. Roast pork in buns, German Bratwurst, or Flammkuchen is traditional.

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German Mulled Wine Recipe

German Mulled Wine (Glühwein)

Jay Wadams

A warming, gently spiced mug of Glühwein, or German Mulled Wine is one of the great pleasures of the winter season.

My easy Glühwein recipe is simple to make at home and fills the whole house with the most incredible aroma!

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5 from 5 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Serves 6 (800ml mulled wine)

Ingredients

 

MetricU.S. Customary

• ▢ 750 ml bottle of red wine
• ▢ 1 unwaxed orange
• ▢ 4 cloves
• ▢ 2 Tbsp honey or soft brown sugar
• ▢ 2 cinnamon sticks
• ▢ 1 star anise
• ▢ 2.5 cm 1 in. slice of fresh ginger
• ▢ 2 fresh bay leaves, optional
• ▢ 75 ml ⅓ cup brandy or rum

Instructions

 

• COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS: Pour the wine into a large pot or saucepan. Give the orange a good scrub then cut it into quarters. Push whole cloves into the skin of each quarter (this saves fishing them out later) and add to the pan with the honey, cinnamon, star anise and ginger and bay leaves if using.
• HEAT AND INFUSE: Gently heat the wine bringing it nearly to a simmer. When the wine is very hot, but not yet simmering, remove from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
  
• REHEAT AND SERVE: To serve, reheat the wine until it is nearly simmering, stir through the rum or brandy and ladle into mugs.

Notes

IMPORTANT: Do not let the mulled wine boil! the high heat will burn off the alcohol and affect the flavour of the finished drink. Be sure to keep it over low heat, it should be very hot but not scalding.

If you'd like to stretch the wine a little you can add a small amount of water or orange juice to make more servings.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1mug | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.

Course | Cocktail Hour

Cuisine | German

Ⓒ | Jay Wadams

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