Sweater weather means it’s hot cocktail time! Okay, don’t blanch. Our world now includes something called “season creep.” That’s the quarterly onslaught of unsolicited DMs on Instagram. Just kidding, it’s the way seasons now sort of blend together–early frosts, late snows, unseasonably warm days, and lots of inappropriate precipitation (that last one can also apply to your DMs). But you might as well get ready for some cozy cocktails now because no one knows when temperatures will drop below freezing.
These mulled cider and wine recipes will also help you cope with your ennui about climate change.
Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
Is your slow cooker sitting on your countertop, shaming you for not making more roasts and chiles? Absolve yourself by using it to slow-marinate a delicious mulled wine recipe.
- 2 bottles full-bodied red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon.
- ½ cup brandy.
- ½ cup maple syrup.
- 4 whole cloves.
- 2 whole anise pods.
- 2 cinnamon sticks.
- 1 orange peel.
Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker and set it to warm until it simmers. The longer you let it sit, the more the flavors will combine and mellow. Serve warm garnished with a cinnamon stick, grated nutmeg, orange slices, or cranberries.
Mulled CiderWine
You can make this on the stovetop or in a slow-cooker. It combines red wine with cider for a lower-ABV, best-of-both-worlds mulled cocktail.
- 2 bottles big-bodied red wine.
- 4 cups apple cider.
- ½ cup apple brandy.
- ¼ cup honey.
- 4 cinnamon sticks.
- 2 sliced oranges.
- 1 sliced lemon.
- 8 whole cloves.
- 12 black peppercorns.
Combine all ingredients over low heat until it begins to simmer. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, then remove from heat and serve.
Mulled Margaritas
If you’re planning Margarita Mondays all winter long, try this mulled wine variation that uses tequila instead of brandy.
- 2 bottles spicy red wine, like Malbec.
- 2 cups apple cider
- ½ cup reposado or anejo tequila.
- ¼ cup Grand Marnier.
- ¼ cup agave syrup.
- ¼ cup orange juice.
- 4 whole cloves
- 8 whole peppercorn.
- 3 whole allspice.
- 3 cinnamon sticks.
Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat on low until simmering. Simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat and serve. For extra margarita vibes, rim your mugs with cinnamon and sugar.
Traditional German Mulled Wine
No matter how good a variation, sometimes you’re just craving the original. Or maybe you’re looking for a basic recipe to adapt on your own.
- 2 bottles dry red wine–Pinot Noir or Merlot.
- 1 ½ cups fresh squeezed orange juice.
- 1 orange, sliced.
- 3 star anise.
- 3 cinnamon sticks.
- 5 cardamom pods.
- 6 cloves.
- ½ cup brown sugar.
Combine orange juice, spices, and sugar in a pot and heat on low until the sugar dissolves. Add the wine and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in mugs.
Winter Holiday Wine
Use this hospitality hack whether you’re hosting celebrations or visiting others–mix up a batch of this holiday wine to have at the ready for stovetop or microwave.
- 2 bottles dry red wine.
- ⅔ cup cranberry juice.
- ½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice.
- ¼ cup brown sugar.
- ½ cup molasses.
- 1 orange, zested and sliced.
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
- 2 green cardamom pods.
- 6 whole cloves.
- 6 whole allspice.
- 10 black peppercorns.
- 2 cinnamon sticks.
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and heat until simmering. Simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat and serve in mugs. Garnish with orange slices and cranberries.
Mulled Cider Sangria
Sangria is mulled wine for summer, so this recipe is a Mobius strip of mulled wine becoming sangria becoming mulled wine again. Make a batch and think about how time is a flat circle.
- 2 bottles white wine.
- 6 cups apple cider.
- 1 apple, sliced.
- 4 teaspoons whole allspice.
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves.
- 4 cinnamon sticks.
- 1 orange, peeled.
Mix apple cider, orange peel, and spices in a slow cooker or pot. Heat on low and simmer for an hour. Strain cider and chill for cold sangria, or add white wine and apple slices to strained cider and heat until simmering.
A Complete List of Regional Hard Ciders
Fall is a perfect season to switch from ice-cold beer to a nice warming hard cider. Here’s our complete list of regional ciders for you to enjoy.
Find the Best Regional Hard Ciders
London Mulled Cider
Taste mulled cider the way they do it across the pond. The recipe calls for rum, but feel free to use your favorite spirit or liqueur–we recommend a ginger liqueur like Domaine de Canton or a spicy liqueur, like Ancho Reyes.
- 4 cups unfiltered cider.
- 2 cups of ginger beer.
- ½ cup rum or liqueur.
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
- 1 whole orange.
Poke a few dozen holes into the orange with a skewer. Push cloves into the orange and combine with maple syrup and cider in a pot. Heat on low and let simmer for an hour. Let cool and add rum and ginger beer. Garnish with apple slices.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash
