Honey compliments almost anything, but have you ever tried it in wine? How about mulled wine? Well, you should! Next time you find yourself bundled up around the campfire, fill your mug with this delicious honey mulled wine recipe, and let that sweet honey flavor warm you up!
Dial Back The Spices
Spices such as cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and orange slices are commonly used to flavor mulled wines. All of those spices individually complement the honey flavor but combined they can overpower it, and the honey taste is the star of this show.
Therefore, we decided to tone down the spices in this version of the classic mulled wine recipe. A cinnamon stick, some cracked black pepper, and maybe just one star anise is all you’re going to need. The goal is to complement the honey and wine, rather than overpower them.
Ingredients for Honey Mulled Wine
First, pour yourself a glass of something hearty like a zinfandel or pinot noir. Pick out a bottle of wine that you would want to sip on its own. There’s no need to break the bank, just go with something you like.
These are some of our favorite spices for honey mulled wine:
- Cinnamon
- Black peppercorns
- Whole allspice berries
- Cloves
- Whole cardamom pods
- Star Anise
- Strips of orange zest
Citrus, berries, and apples are other popular ingredients. You can customize this dish using the spices and fruits of your choice. In order to avoid overpowering the honey and wine’s natural tastes with too many spices, it’s best to taste as you go.
Our Version: The Honey Mulled Wine
This is very straightforward: For every 750 ml bottle of wine, mix in around 3/4 cup of honey and 3/4 cup of water. If you prefer less sweetness in your mulled wine, reduce the honey to a half cup.
Put in a cinnamon stick that’s about three inches long and a few whole black peppercorns. From here on out, you have some room to get as creative as you would like. I’m a big fan of Star anise so I might throw one or two in there.
Give it a Test Drive First
If you’re not sure if you’ll like this recipe, start with a half glass of wine instead of the whole bottle. Warm the wine with some honey and see if it’s something you like, love or hate.
Honey Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 1 Bottle zinfandel, pinot noir, or other full-bodied robust red wine that you enjoy drinking
- 3/4 cup Water
- 3/4 cup Honey
- 15 pcs Whole Black peppercorns
- 1 pcs (3-inch) cinnamon stick, plus extra (optional) for serving
- 1 pcs star anise (or a couple cardamom pods or allspice berries)
- 1 Handful Thin peels of lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
Combine The Ingredients:
- Combine the wine, water, honey, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and any other spices you are using in a 2-quart saucepan.If you are unsure about the sweetness level, start with less honey and add more to taste.
Warm over medium-low heat:
- until steamy and lightly simmering.
Serve:
- Strain into glass mugs. Serve with a thin strip of lemon zest and a bit of cinnamon stick.