Warm, cozy, and comforting, this non-alcoholic mulled wine is the perfect festive beverage to savor during the holiday season. It is a great alternative for those who are looking to enjoy the holiday vibes without the alcohol.
I had read about mulled wine but never really had a chance to try it. I finally had the opportunity to taste it at my Aunt’s birthday party last Christmas. The wine concoction was sweet, spiced, and fruity. Each sip was so comforting and warming. I loved it and knew I had to recreate this drink but sans the alcohol for my friends and family members who are teetotalers.
The aroma of fruit juices simmering with spices and fruits on the stovetop makes my home smell like the holidays. This festive, spiced holiday drink is sure to warm you up from the inside out. Just imagine being curled up under a fluffy blanket, sipping on a mug of warm mulled wine around a cozy fireplace, ahh blissful!!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe?
- Enjoy all the benefits of drinking this warm beverage without the booziness or hangover
- This alcohol-free mulled wine is the perfect winter mocktail to warm you up
- Pregnant women and kids can enjoy it too
- Perfect for those who avoid consuming alcohol due to various reasons yet want to enjoy this seasonal drink
- Easily customizable
- Great for gifting this holiday season
Ingredients
To make this easy mulled wine without alcohol, you will need the following ingredients;
- Juice: I’ve used a mix of grape juice and cranberry juice as the base for this recipe.
- Water: We need little water to help balance the flavors and prevent the mixture from becoming too concentrated.
- Granulated sugar: This can be adjusted as per the sugar content of the fruit juice. You may use brown sugar too.
- Spices: I’ve used cinnamon, cloves, and, star anise. Each spice adds its unique flavor to the mulled wine. Cinnamon adds a sweet, warm, and woody flavor, cloves add a hint of spice and pungency, and star anise adds a sweet, licorice-like flavor.
- Orange and lemon slices: The essential oils released from the rind of the orange and lemons during simmering adds a wonderful aroma along with a citrusy zing, brightness, and sweetness to the drink.
- Ginger: I’ve used peeled and sliced ginger but you can also use coarsely crushed or grated ginger for an extra spicy kick.
- Cranberries: Adds a burst of tart flavor and vibrant color to this alcohol-free mulled wine.
Please refer to the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
1- In a saucepot, combine 3 cups of red grape juice, 1 cup of cranberry juice, and 1/2 cup of water.
2- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar or any other sweetener of your choice. This step is optional and can be adjusted in the end.
3- Add spices: 2 pods of star anise, 6-7 whole cloves, a couple of (2-inch) cinnamon sticks, 1-inch ginger (peeled and thinly sliced or grated), frozen or fresh cranberries, orange, and lemon slices.
4- Mix well.
5- Heat the mixture on medium heat until it begins to simmer. Do not boil.
6- Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Check for sweetness and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar if needed, heat until it dissolves. If the flavor is too intense for you, dilute the drink with a little water or add more fruit juice.
7- Remove the pot from heat, strain or remove the fruits and spices with a slotted spoon, and serve warm in heatproof glasses.
8- To make it even more inviting and visually appealing, garnish the mulled wine with orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and a few fresh cranberries.
Serving suggestions
Here are a couple of other ways you can amp up the garnishes of this mocktail.
- Skewer fresh or candied cranberries on a toothpick and place it on the rim of your serving glasses. If using candied cranberries, add them just before serving or the sugar coating will melt if kept in contact with the mulled wine for a long time.
- Garnish with a sprig of rosemary, thyme, or mint leaves to add a pop of green color.
- Instead of garnishing with plain orange slices, try orange slices studded with cloves. To do that, simply push 5 to 6 cloves into the rind or flesh of the orange slices.
Variations
Feel free to experiment with some of these interesting variations of alcohol-free mulled wine;
- Non-alcoholic red wine: You may use a bottle of your preferred non-alcoholic red wine instead of juice. Skip the water and add it in the end if you need to dilute the flavors. The rest of the process remains the same.
- Herbs: Simmer the mixture along with some herbs like rosemary, thyme, or mint to imbue herbal notes.
- Fruit juice: Feel free to experiment with just grape juice or a combination of juices. You can also consider using apple juice, plum juice, etc. Use white grape juice to make white mulled wine.
- Fresh fruits/berries: You may add some sliced apples, pears, fresh or frozen blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.
- Pronounced citrus flavor: If you love citrusy notes in your mulled wine, you can add more citrus fruits like grapefruit, blood oranges, etc along with the orange and lemon slices. Also, adding a 1/2 cup of citrus juices like orange, grapefruit, etc will elevate the citrus flavor in this alcohol-free mulled wine.
- Spices: You may also consider adding other spices like peppercorns, nutmeg, allspice, or crushed green cardamom.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Remove the fruits and spices before refrigerating as it helps prevent the flavors from becoming too intense.
Reheat it on low heat gently on the stove before serving and it should still taste just as good.
Top tips
Simmer, don’t boil: Simmering allows a gradual infusion of the spices in the mulled wine and also helps develop deep, complex flavors. Boiling the mixture will concentrate the flavors, thicken it into a thick syrup, and may also make the wine taste bitter.
Sweetness: I’ve added a bit of sugar to balance the flavors from the tart cranberries and spices. Sweetness, of course, will vary from one brand of juice or the type of fruit juice you use. If you are unsure of the sweetness level, do not add sugar in the beginning. Taste it towards the end of the simmering process and adjust it to your liking by adding sugar or any other sweetener of your choice.
For a slight kick: You may also add dried or fresh chile peppers, or some peppercorns to give it that extra punch.
Strain the mulled wine before serving: Biting into a whole clove can be an unpleasant experience, so strain the wine before serving.
Serving temperature: Mulled wine is best served warm instead of piping hot as the flavors are more prominent.
FAQ
What is mulled wine?
Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine is a traditional alcoholic drink, popular during the holiday season. It is served in the Christmas markets in most European countries. Traditionally, it is made with red wine, fruits, and mulling spices, and sometimes includes either brandy, cognac, or rum.
Does mulled wine contain alcohol?
Yes, since mulled wine is an alcoholic drink made typically with red wine, it does contain alcohol. Some of the alcohol may partially evaporate during the simmering process, but not all of it.
What is non-alcoholic mulled wine made up of?
Non-alcoholic mulled wine is a fragrant mocktail made of fruit juice or non-alcoholic wine along with spices and fruits. While spices used remain the same, the fruit juices and fruits used can vary from one recipe to another.
What does non-alcoholic mulled wine taste like?
It is a symphony of fruity, tart, and sweet flavors from red grape juice, cranberry juice, and frozen cranberries. It has a warmth from the spices, a hint of zesty citrus flavor from the orange and lemon slices, and a subtle kick from the ginger.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, you can! Prepare the mixture a day or two in advance. Once the wine has cooled down, strain and transfer the wine into a container with a lid, and refrigerate. When you are ready to serve, reheat the mulled wine gently on the stove.
Can I make this recipe in the Instant Pot?
Yes, absolutely! It is pretty much a dump-and-go recipe. Simply place all the ingredients in the Instant Pot, secure the lid and turn the knob to ‘SEALING’, and pressure cook on ‘HIGH’ for 5 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is completed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes followed by a quick release of remaining pressure. Once the float valve (silver pin) drops, open the lid, give it a good mix, strain, and serve!
If not serving immediately, you may use the ‘KEEP WARM’ mode to keep the wine warm until you are ready to serve.
Why is my non-alcoholic mulled wine tasting bitter?
The bitterness may be due to various factors like simmering the wine with spices for too long, or due to the bitter white pith of the orange peel. Alternatively, you may remove the orange rind to make the drink less bitter. If your batch of mulled wine is bitter, balance it out by adding some sweetener.
Can I use ground spices instead of whole spices?
While whole spices work best for mulled wine recipes, you may use ground spices in a pinch, but be careful as they are a lot more potent than whole spices and will impart a stronger flavor.
Related
You may also enjoy these non-alcoholic drink recipes!
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Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 3 cups grape juice
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated or brown sugar
- 1 orange sliced
- 1 inch ginger root peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 star anise
- 6-7 cloves
- 2 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
To garnish
- Orange slices
- Cinnamon sticks
- Star anise
- Fresh cranberries
Instructions
- In a saucepot, combine red grape juice, cranberry juice, and water.
- Add sugar or any other sweetener of your choice. This step is optional and can be adjusted in the end.
- Add spices, thinly sliced ginger, frozen or fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, orange and lemon slices. Mix well.
- Heat the mixture on medium heat until it begins to simmer. Do not boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Check for sweetness and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar if needed, heat until it dissolves. If the flavor is too intense for you, dilute the drink with a little water or add more fruit juice.
- Remove the pot from heat, strain or remove the fruits and spices with a slotted spoon, and serve warm in heatproof glasses.
- To make it even more inviting and visually appealing, garnish the mulled wine with orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and a few fresh cranberries.
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