He searches seductively, climbing first to the nose, then to the head: mulled wine! No Christmas market can do without this hot drink. But mulled wine is a drink with tradition. The ancient Romans already sweetened their wine, and in the Middle Ages even mulled wine was considered medicine. “Conditum paradoxum” (Latin mulled wine) can be found in the two-thousand-year-old recipe book of ancient gourmet Marcus Gavius Apicius: Five liters of wine served with one liter of honey plus 30 liters of honey. star anise, three sticks of cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves, coriander and thyme.
You can delight your guests with homemade mulled wine. But there are a few things to consider when preparing.
1. Too much spice
You must dose the flavors and spices correctly, otherwise you will not be able to enjoy the wine. Just too many cloves can make mulled wine undrinkable. But too much star anise and cinnamon can also spoil the fun and mask fruity flavors.
2. Too hot
You have to resist the urge to boil the mulled wine too hot. When the brew evaporates, it is hot enough. If you heat it too long or too high, the mulled wine will taste too spicy and syrupy, and the alcohol will evaporate too quickly. 50 to 60 degrees is ideal.
3. Wrong wine
Many consider good wine or high-quality spices unnecessary in mulled wine. But quality is important. The ideal red wine for mulled wine is Merlot, Zinfandel or Grenache. These wines are dark, fruity and full.
4. So cute
Anyone who drinks mulled wine in the evening usually feels it the next day: they have a headache. Many blame the spices – but that’s not the real problem. Mulled wine usually has about twelve percent alcohol, so we sometimes drink it faster and probably a lot more than is fine for us. At the same time, sugar and heat allow alcohol to enter the blood particularly quickly. It is better to use less sugar or juice in preparation.
5. very little time
A good mulled wine takes time. The mulled wine should stand for a few hours before serving so that all the flavors are revealed. It is best to prepare it in the morning for the evening or leave it at night.
Three facts about mulled wine
- Contains at least 7% alcohol by volume. This is the minimum wage. But mulled wines are often stronger at Christmas markets. Up to 14.5% volume is allowed. But beware: the drink comes to mind especially quickly because of the heat and sugar!
- The first recipe was given in 1843. This probably comes from August Josef Ludwig von Wackerbarth of Saxony. But the ancient Romans already knew about a type of mulled wine called conditum paradoxum. For this, they boiled honey with wine and spices. Their purpose: to improve the sour taste of alcohol.
- One cup is on average 200 kcal. In addition to a pleasant feeling of warmth in the stomach, mulled wine has one special feature: a lot of calories! But to be honest: who cares about the figure during the Christmas season? Even. Spices trigger positive emotions. This is definitely more important.
Alcohol does not help against the cold
Alcohol consumption certainly leads to a pleasant feeling of warmth, as the Swiss Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems (SFA) explains. But this is because more blood is supplied to the skin, as alcohol dilates blood vessels. And this is treacherous, because heat is quickly lost outside in the cold. Alcohol is not a good idea for the winter blues. Better than alcohol for a good mood anyway, is to eat well, well balanced, exercise outdoors or be with other people. And sauna sessions against the cold. On the other hand, people who feel bad and therefore consume alcohol are at risk of drinking more and more frequently.