Mulled Wine

In a large saucepan or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, stir together the red wine, brandy, sugar, ground nutmeg, and orange and lemon slices. Place the cinnamon stick, anise seed, peppercorns, allspice and cloves on a piece of cheesecloth that’s been doubled up. Gather the corners of the cloth to enclose the spices, and tie the bundle securely with a piece of string. Add the spice bundle to the other ingredients in the pan. Editor’s Tip: Consider toasting your spices in a dry skillet before bundling them up together in cheesecloth. This will release even more flavor and aromatic compounds in the brew.

Set the wine mixture in the pan over medium-high heat, and bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once at a boil, immediately lower the heat, and simmer the wine mixture, covered, for about 20 minutes. Editor’s Tip: You don’t want to cook mulled wine at a roiling boil for too long; doing so will cause the alcohol to evaporate out. Keep it slow and low, as if it’s mulling things over.

Take the mixture off the stove, and allow it to cool slightly. Then, transfer it to a container, and let it rest for an hour, or until it’s cool enough to cover. Cover the container tightly, and refrigerate the mulled wine overnight. Editor’s Tip: Don’t skip refrigerating the mulled wine. It needs that time for all the spiced flavors to meld together.

When you’re ready to serve the mulled wine, strain the mixture into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Discard the fruit and spice bundle. Reheat the mulled wine over low until it’s completely warmed through. Serve the mulled wine warm. If desired, garnish with fresh or dried orange slices, star anise, or cinnamon sticks.