Easy spiced mulled wine made with a bottle of red, whole spices, orange, and a splash of kombucha, naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
If you’ve been around here a while you know I’m a big red wine drinker.
But I’ve never had my wine warm.
Until this year!
Last night I sipped on mulled wine out of mugs while listening to Indie music on my Alexa speakers.
M says that mulled wine reminds him of winters home in Germany.
Sometimes I like to imagine him there, surrounded by family and friends on a continent I’ve never stepped foot, drinking malted wine in a cozy kitchen.
But for now all I know is *my* messy kitchen and the stories he tells me.
I laughed, curling my fingers around the big blue mugs, feeling like a teenager who had spiked their fruit punch.
It felt strange to sip on alcohol like I would coffee or tea, feeling the tannins on my tongue and the bite of sweet acidity followed by a glow warm fire in my belly.
Yeah, mulled wine makes me smile, which is exactly how I want to end the year.
And I want you to join me.
This Mulled Wine with Kombucha is made with red wine, whole spices, and citrus, a splash of kombucha, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Let’s make a batch to send off 2020 once and for all and bring in 2021 grinning!
If you’ve never made mulled wine before, I guarantee it’s easier than you think it is.
Here’s what you need:
- dry red wine
- orange, sliced into rounds
- cinnamon sticks
- star anise
- maple syrup
- Harvest Spice Mad Magic Kombucha
- optional garnishes: orange slices, extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise
That’s it!
The method here is pretty easy.
You literally throw everything into a saucepan and simmer for about ~15 minutes, until warm and steaming.
Try starting off with less maple syrup and adding more as needed after tasting.
I started with 2 Tablespoons and ended up adding 2 more for 1/4 cup total to reach the perfect level of sweetness!
Any red wine will work for this recipe– save the expensive bottles for drinking straight and use a more generic dry table wine for this recipe.
I used an older bottle of cab that worked wonderfully!
Be careful not to let the mixture boil or bubble, because this will reduce the alcohol content!
I recommend running the hot liquid through a fine mesh strainer before serving to catch any citrus, star anise, and cinnamon pieces left behind.
You want to serve the Mulled Wine with Kombucha while it’s warm but not scalding.
If you *have* been lucky enough to try mulled wine before, I bet you’ve never tried it with kombucha.
I added Harvest Spice Mad Magic Kombucha to this cozy mulled wine for a splash of probiotics and harvest spice.
I love Mad Magic Kombucha because their kombucha is all hand-crafted and bottled with no artificial ingredients, added sugar, juice, or extracts.
The ingredients in this Harvest Spice blend, for example, are: Organic Kombucha (Water, Organic Raw Non-GMO Cane Sugar, Organic Kombucha Culture, Organic Tea), Organic Nutmeg, Organic Clove, and Organic Cinnamon Sticks.
That’s it!
This sweetly spiced kombucha is brewed with organic nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon.
It’s the perfect slightly sweet and acidic kick to make this mulled wine pop!
I recommend adding 2 Tablespoons of kombucha to start, then taste and add more as desired.
Enjoy this Mulled Wine with Kombucha as a cozy winter wind-down beverage.
I love to serve mine with a wedge of wine soaked orange and a cinnamon stick!
If you’re into cloves, you can add them into this recipe, but I find them to be a bit intense and left them out for my version.
Instead of oranges you can sub apples or cranberries for different fruit variations.
The recipe is kind of hard to mess up, so have fun throwing different flavors in to see what you like best!
Because you’re committed to using a full bottle for the recipe, it’s best enjoyed to be shared with family and friends.
If serving more people, you can double or tripling the recipe by using multiple bottles of wine and big stock pot.
You can also store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheat before serving again.
Enjoy!
Mulled Wine with Kombucha
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy spiced mulled wine made with a bottle of red, whole spices, orange, and a splash of kombucha, naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of dry red wine
- 1 orange, sliced into rounds
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 2–4 TBSP maple syrup
- 1/4 cup Harvest Spice Mad Magic Kombucha
- optional garnishes: sliced orange, extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise
Instructions
- Add the wine, orange slices, cinnamon, star anise, maple syrup, and kombucha to a large saucepan. Stir briefly to combine.
- Cook the mulled wine on medium-high heat until it just reaches a simmer. Avoid letting it bubble — you don’t want to boil off the alcohol. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.
- Using a strainer, remove and discard the orange slices, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Taste the mulled wine and stir in extra maple syrup if needed.
- Serve warm in mugs topped with your favorite garnishes!
- This recipe is best when fresh, however, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheat before serving.
Notes
To serve more people, double the recipe and use two bottles of wine!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Drink, Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Refined-Sugar-Free
This post is brought to you by Mad Magic Kombucha, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!
Photography by Hot Pan Kitchen
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