This delicious Brandy Mulled Wine Recipe is a must during the holidays. We've been making this recipe for years and it never disappoints. It's easy to make, perfectly spiced, and tastes like Christmas. Bonus: we make it with maple syrup for extra rich flavor and so that it's refined sugar-free.

A glass of this brandy mulled wine recipe with an orange slice, cinnamon stick, and a few cranberries in it.

Let's cheers to the holidays! And there is literally nothing better to cheers Christmas with than traditional mulled wine.

Or glögg, glüwein, vin brulé, grzane wino, varené wino, forralt bor, quentão or any of the other words for warm spiced wine. Whatever you call it, it's delicious.

Nearly every year when we put up our tree, I invite all our friends and family over and put a big pot of mulled wine on the stove a half hour before I've said to arrive. When people show up, our place smells AMAZING.

Mulled wine tastes and smells just like Christmas.

Why you'll love this mulled wine recipe

  • It's the easiest winter drink to make. Put your inexpensive red wine, brandy, and spices into a pot. Then warm them up and drink.
  • It's 100% foolproof. Even though I've measured the ingredients for you, when I make it for our tree trimming party, I simply eyeball the spices and it always turns out great.
  • It'll warm you up and make you feel like you're sitting in front of a cozy fireplace.
  • Your house will smell amazing when you make it.
  • This is Christmas in a cup.
A close up of a pot of mulled wine with orange slices and mulling spices in it.

How to make mulled wine

Lucky for us, this mulled wine recipe is SUPER EASY to make. If you can open a screw cap bottle of wine, you can make this.

  1. Pour the wine into a big pot. Now pour in some brandy and some apple juice. You've got this.
  2. Slice an orange and add that to the pot. See how easy this is?
  3. Now add a couple of spices.
  4. Warm the mulled wine until it is steaming but NOT  boiling. (Unless of course you don't want the alcohol. Then go ahead and boil your heart out. Errr boil the alcohol out.)

Isn't it awesome how easy it is to make mulled wine?

When I pour the wine into mugs or thick walled wine glasses, I pour it through a small fine-mesh strainer. If you want to make your life even easier you can either strain the whole batch into a different pot or tie the spices in cheesecloth before you add them to the pot.

A pot of mulled wine with orange slices and mulling spices in it.

What are mulled wine spices?

Mulling spices are always whole spices. If you use ground spices, you'll end up with a slightly gritty mulled wine. It's ok in a pinch if it's what you have on hand, but use whole spices if you can.

The mulled wine spices that I always reach for (and that are in this recipe) are cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and peppercorns.

But feel free to use this recipe as a base and add to the spices or switch them up. Here are a few other spices and flavors that you may want to try:

  • Cardamom pods
  • Slices of fresh ginger
  • Nutmeg
  • Allspice
  • Lemon rinds
  • Raisins
  • Bay leaf

How long does mulled wine last?

Mulled wine will last for at least 3 days. Store any leftovers in your fridge and gently reheat it when you feel like some more.

What to serve with mulled wine?

If you're serving this at a Christmas party, these appetizers are a good pairing:

A close up of a glass of mulled wine with an orange slice, cinnamon stick, and a few cranberries in it.

Favorite Winter Drink Recipes:

A close up of a glass of mulled wine with an orange slice, cinnamon stick, and a few cranberries in it.

Brandy Mulled Wine Recipe

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Mulled wine is a must during the holidays. We've been making this recipe for years and it never disappoints. It's easy to make, perfectly spiced, and tastes like Christmas. Bonus: we make it with maple syrup for extra rich flavor and so it's refined sugar-free.
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Ingredients

  • 2 bottles red wine, see notes
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 cup brandy
  • ½ cup maple syrup, see notes
  • 1 orange, sliced with the skin on
  • 4 cinnamon sticks, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 6 whole star anise
  • Optional garnishes: orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cranberries

Instructions 

  • Add all the ingredients to a large pot over medium-high heat. As soon as you start to see steam rising from the pot, reduce the heat to medium. Keep the pot on the heat for 15 minutes for the spices to infuse the wine.
    2 bottles red wine, 1 cup apple juice, 1 cup brandy, ½ cup maple syrup, 1 orange, 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 6 whole star anise
  • Strain the mulled wine into mugs or thick-walled wine glasses and top with any or all of the optional garnishes.
    Optional garnishes: orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cranberries

Notes

Don't blow your budget on a good bottle of wine for this recipe. An inexpensive merlot or cabernet sauvignon is perfect.
You can substitute coconut sugar or brown sugar for the maple syrup.
Leftovers can be stored (with the spices strained) in your fridge for several days. You can drink it cold or gently reheat it.
Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 103kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 3mg, Potassium: 89mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 32IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1mg
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SAVE FOR LATER! Mulled wine is a must during the holidays. We've been making this recipe for years and it never disappoints. It's easy to make, perfectly spiced, and tastes like Christmas. Bonus: we make it with maple syrup for extra rich flavor and so it's refined sugar-free. | vegan + gluten-free + refined sugar-free | #theendlessmeal #wine #mulledwine #christmas #brandy #holidays #glogg #redwine #warmwine #cocktail #christmascocktail #drink #refinedsugarfree #vegan #glutenfree #maplesyrup