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5 from 6 votes

Vin Brulé - Italian Mulled Wine

No other drink rings out the arrival of the festive season like vin brulé. This deeply warming and comforting Italian mulled wine is easy to prepare, serves a crowd and screams of Christmas.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Steeping1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Alcoholic Drink
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 176kcal
Author: Jane Coupland

Ingredients

  • 70 cl Fruity Italian red wine
  • 1 Orange
  • 12 Cloves
  • 4 tablespoon Honey
  • 2 Lemon slices
  • 3 Slices fresh ginger no need to peal
  • 2 Cinnamon sticks each 10cm long
  • 3 Allspice berries lightly crushed
  • 100 ml Cointreau Orange liqueur or Grand Marnier
  • 100 ml Cherry brandy
  • 100 ml Amaretto
  • 500 ml Water
Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  • Poke the cloves into the orange and put into a large saucepan, then pour in the wine and heat, gently until steaming but not boiling
  • Remove from the heat and add the honey, lemon, allspice, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside to steep for at least 30 minutes but up up 1 hour (the longer the spices are left in, the more pronounced the flavours will be)
  • Strain through a fine-meshed sieve to remove the fruit and spices. Pour into a clean pan.
  • Add the liqueurs and water. Reheat gently and serve, garnished with orange slices and cinnamon sticks

Notes

  • There is absolutely no need to spend a fortune on the wine in this recipe. I usually pick up whatever is on special at the supermarket for my vin brulé
  • This drink should not be served boiling hot like tea or coffee. It is best served at a lower temperature to allow the complex flavour profile to sparkle
  • Never let your wine simmer or boil as it cooks – this will destroy the flavours
  • Don’t leave your wine to ‘keep warm’ for hours on end. This will also lead to the flavour deteriorating
  • For a less strong mulled wine you could reduce the amount of liqueurs – try ½ or even ¼ of the quantities listed or leave them out altogether should you be after a simpler affair. Don’t forget to reduce the water accordingly too

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg