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.
Servings: 8
Calories: 176kcal
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
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
