Mulled wine

Today just happens to National Mulled Wine Day. I am very much of the opinion that mulled wine is delicious and should be imbibed the whole winter through, rather than just today. But especially today. Upon investigation it turns out that mulled wine has a very long history that stretches all the way back to antiquity, claiming its heritage from the old Greek drink ypocras or hippocras (there was no standardisation of spelling in those days) said to have been invented by Hippocrates. Back in the day, sanitisation was poor and so few people avoided drinking the water if possible, preferring to imbibe wine and other 'clean' drinks, such as the prevalent small beer of medieval Europe. Although hippocras bears little resemblance to mulled wine as we know it today, it was still heavily spiced, laying the groundwork for later change. 

Hippocras recipe from  A Noble Book of Festes Royalle and Cokery (London: 1500)

There's seems to be some contention regarding how mulled wine got it's name. Some claim that it derives from the word muddled, which in the fifteenth century was often used to mean drunk, whilst others state that the word mulled literally meant heated or spiced. Either seem equally plausible, so the jury's out on that one. What is certain is that the drink became very popular as time passed, and derivatives of it sprang up all over northern Europe  where the winter chill was keenly felt.

Classic mulled wine

There are countless variations of this drink, but I have spent all winter perfecting my own personal recipe for the perfect glass of mulled wine and I shall provide it here;

2 bottles of cheap red wine

1/3 bottle of ginger wine

150g brown sugar

1 orange

1 lemon

6 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

Epic amounts of wine

1. Chop the oranges and lemons into segments and add to the pot, juicing them slightly. Add the cloves, cinnamon, brown sugar and a few splashes of wine, just enough to cover the other ingredients.

2. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved (usually take 2-3 minutes).

3. Add the rest of the wine and the ginger wine and continue to heat gently until warmed through. Serve immediately.

It smelled so delicious the camera had an emotional moment

So, to celebrate mulled wine day with me I would recommend nothing more than having a glass or two or this sweet sweet nectar. Enjoy ^_^