Mulling Around

So anyone who follows me on twitter, knows I love my wine.  I have been a wine drinker for all of my adult life- and by adult life, I mean that I was past the point of using a fake ID, chugging goldschlager or any pink concoction served in a giant tub and buying giant bottles of vodka made out of plastic.   I usually choose a nice white wine and have a red on occasion. 

Something people find a little strange, is that I prefer my wine out of a coffee mug.  Sure I have plenty of lovely wine glasses, but they lack the stability and size a wino such as myself really need.  I'm sure there is a reason to drink wine from a glass.  Something about the tannins or the notes, but I don't really care,  I like my wine with a handle. 

Why did I start drinking wine from a coffee mug?
Mulled wine. 

If you are not familiar, I want to introduce you all to a holiday favorite of mine.  A couple of years ago a friend brought some mulled wine to a potluck and my life was forever changed!  It's like wine infused with Christmas!

Okay, so first off buy yourself a bottle of red wine (by the way, you can also use apple cider).  It doesn't have to be the best and it can even be the worst.  I usually go with a 2 buck Chuck from Trader Joe's. 

I like to buy a prepackaged mulling spice from Williams Sonoma or Trader Joe's (although, I have been stalking TJ's for a month now and it's not in yet), but you can also make your own by combining cloves, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and orange peel.  Here is a good recipe from Sheknows.com

 

Then empty your wine into a pot, put the spice into cheesecloth (or you can just put the spices straight into the pot and strain it at the end, but I like the cheese cloth option better) and warm it all up.  You don't want it to be boiling, but you do want it to be steaming,  I usually just heat it up in about 6 minutes and then turn it down to low and let it sit all night (for the next hour while I finish it off).  Meanwhile, you kitchen will smell absolutely divine!

You serve it warm, hence the coffee mug.  It's absolutely perfect for a chilly night or a holiday celebration. Get a full cup, this stuff goes fast!

Give it a try and let me know how you like it.  If you end up drinking all wine out of a coffee mug, I'll totally understand!