Winter Weather Beverages: Spiced Cider, Mulled Red Wine and More

Hosting a holiday gathering? Keep your guests full of Christmas cheer with Carla Emery's recipes for delicious mulled beverages. 

You can mull any juice by adding sugar and spices and heating to a boil. Then simmer 10 minutes, strain, and serve hot. Grape juice, orange juice, cider, and red wines mull especially well. Spices invariably include cloves and cinnamon sticks. Whole allspice, nutmeg, and ginger are other possibilities. Lemon juice and lemon slices are good too. Sweeten with your favorite sweetener. Be sure to strain unless all will be consumed immediately. The longer the whole spices are in it, the stronger the drink gets--and it soon becomes too bitter to enjoy!

SPICED LEMONADE

Put 2 qt. water, 4 T. sugar, 3 cloves, and about 2 inches of stick cinnamon into a pan. Bring slowly to a boil, strain, add the juice of 4 lemons, and reboil. Serve with a slice of lemon in each glass.

MULLED RED WINE

Use the cheapest red wine you can find (it will still be good). Heat 1 qt. wine and add 1 stick cinnamon, juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 c. sugar, 8 cloves, and 1/2 lemon sliced into sections. Strain. Serve with a slice of the lemon in each cup. Good for the old, cold, weary, and disheartened--a medicinal substance. Mull port or sweet wines without adding sugar.

MULLED CRANBERRY CIDER

Mix 4 c. cider (or grape juice) 4 c. cranberry juice, 6 cloves, 1 stick cinnamon, 4 whole allspice, and 1/2 c. brown sugar. heat until the sugar dissolves, and serve hot.

SPICED CIDER

Mix 4 c. cider, 2 whole allspice, 2 whole cloves, and about 3 inches of stick cinnamon, and boil 5 minutes. Add 1/2 c. brown sugar, boil 5 minutes more and serve hot. 

CIDER PUNCH FOR A CROWD

Squeeze 1 orange and 1 lemon. Combine the chopped peels, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 stick cinnamon, 1/2 t. whole allspice, and 4 c. water. Boil gently 30 minutes. Strain; add the orange and lemon juice and 2 qt. cider. Reheat and serve.

MULLED GRAPE JUICE

Combine 4 c. grape juice (dilute if it is very strong), 4 sticks cinnamon, about 1/4 c. sugar, and a dash each of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and powdered cinnamon. Bring to boil and serve hot.

HOT SPICED TEA FOR A CROWD

Combine 3 qt. boiling water, 3 T. tea leaves, 2 sticks cinnamon, and 1 t. whole cloves. When your tea is strong enough, strain and add 3/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. lemon juice, and 1 c. orange juice. Reheat. The "tea" leaves can be whatever kind you prefer--raspberry, strawberry, rose hip, etc.