All I Wanted This Weekend…

was a glass or two (or three) of mulled wine. There’s nothing like it on a chilly winter’s day when your hands are numb and your insides are craving something soothing and yummy.

My first taste of the hot spiced wine was at the Christkindle Market in Chicago two years ago and ever since, I’ve craved it whenever it gets too cold outside. It’s a traditional winter drink in many European countries and came about hundreds of years ago, some say to prolong the drinkability of wine, while others say to make wine taste better. In Germany they call it Glühwein, in France they call it vin chaud, and in Italy they call it vin brulè.

I had a lot of mulled wine while I was in London (at outdoor markets, in cafes, in pubs) but in DC, you can’t just walk into a bar and order a glass. So I looked up the recipe and thought about making it myself but decided it wasn’t economically feasible, what with all the ingredients I didn’t readily have and being cash-strapped this season. Instead, I got some regular red wine on discount and enjoyed it while I embarked on my first attempt at homemade stock with the leftover chicken carcass that was sitting in my fridge. Seven hours later, I had a fantastic-tasting, super rich soup base, which I later used for chicken porridge. Not so sure if I’ll do it again though, at least not on the stove. It felt like an awful waste of gas.

Anyway, here’s the food network’s recipe for mulled wine…

You’ll need:

* 2 bottles dry red wine
* 4 ounces port or brandy
* 12 whole cloves
* 4 cinnamon sticks
* 1 large orange, zested

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Do not allow mixture to boil. Heat for 20 minutes and serve in a large, heat resistant punch bowl.

* Serving suggestion: Garnish with cinnamon sticks or freshly ground nutmeg

Enjoy!