Traditional German Mulled Wine Recipe (Glühwein) (30 Mins) (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to heat Glühwein? ›

Simmer. Cook the mulled wine on medium-high heat until it just barely reaches a simmer. (Avoid letting it bubble — you don't want to boil off the alcohol.) Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Mulled wine is hot spiced wine. Gluhwein is a German term for exactly the same. However, they might not necessarily taste the same way because there are so many different recipes, spice mixes and wines to choose from.

First of all, Gluhwein is spiced differently, traditionally with oranges, star aniseed, cloves, and cinnamon being mandatory, vanilla being optional, and ginger and cardamom not used at all. Second of all, it's lower in sugar content, with either very little sugar used or not at all.

This mulled wine recipe is for the German Glühwein, which literally translates to glow-wine, because of how you feel after you've been drinking tiny mugs outside in December.

Be careful not to overcook as the wine will reduce. Remove pan from heat. Cover and steep until well-flavored. We recommend letting it steep 5 to 10 minutes.

Let the wine slowly warm up to 70°C (160F) do not pass 80°C (175F) (keep a close eye on that). When you reach 70°C (160F) let the flavors mix up for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.

Zinfandels, Merlots, Syrah/Shiraz, or Garnache tend to work best. Avoid red wines high in tannins or have an oaky flavor, and avoid light reds. Sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to have a full-bodied, fruity flavor, can work in a pinch, as can Malbec, which tends to have a bold, spicy flavor.

The wine is thoroughly warmed with cloves, cinnamon, star anise and sugar. It is possible to add a slice of lemon or orange. Mulled wine has about 7.5% alcohol.

It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is usually served at Christmas markets in Europe, primarily in Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Nordics, Baltics and eastern France.

But no matter what you start with, and no matter all the other variables, if you're really keeping mulled wine warm for 10 hours, it's very likely some—but definitely not all—of the alcohol will evaporate. But the flavors of the mulled wine will also start to fade and get muddier after hours and hours of heat exposure.

How long does Glühwein last? ›

Bottled or freshly made Mulled wine will last 3-5 days after cooking / opening if stored in the fridge. While unopened mulled wine can last for years if stored in the correct conditions. What is this?

Fun fact, Glühwein roughly translates to “glow-wine”. This is a term derived from the hot irons that was once used to mull the wine! It is most popular in German-speaking countries and in the Alsace region in France.

THE GERMANS also disagree: 'Bier auf Wein das lass sein; Wein auf Bier das rat' ich Dir' (roughly translated: 'Don't touch beer after wine; but wine after beer is fine'). There is an Anglo-German difference on another bit of folklore, too.

While it's a nice drink to imbibe on its own, it's always more fun to think of pairings. Truthfully, mulled wine pairs well with everything from roast beef or sausage to cheese platters. Miller loves to take comforting, classic meat and potato dishes and throw in Filipino twists.

Officially speaking, the drink is defined by the spices used in it, namely cloves and / or cinnamon. The base also needs to be either white or red wine and have an alcohol content of at least 7%.

When your syrup is ready, turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and the rest of the wine. Gently heat the wine and after around 5 minutes, when it's warm and delicious, ladle it into heatproof glasses and serve.

The trick to mulled wine is never to boil it because that way the alcohol boils off (although if you want to make a non alcoholic version by all means boil away). Instead you need to keep it at a gentle simmer. The idea of using a slow cooker to make mulled wine came to me as I was packing it away.

Saucepan on low. The pre-bottled stuff tastes better if you toss some orange slices in there. I meant to buy a cheap bottle of red wine today to make Gluhwein. I've also done it for a few hours in a crock pot on high, that way it stays warm for refills/larger groups of people.