Winter isn’t coming. Winter is already here. It’s seriously cold outside, which means it’s a great time for a little wine, and it’s a great time for something warm.
If you want to combine your love of good wine and your need for a hot beverage, here are five winter treats that you can whip up with just a good bottle and a couple of other ingredients. Enjoy.
Mulled Wine
The classic.
Let’s get the easiest over with first. This is red wine that is spiced and infused with ingredients (usually a simple but enticing blend of cinnamon sticks, cloves, star aniseed, citrus and sugar) and then heated. Also known as glühwein, it’s basically Christmas in a mug.
Red Wine Hot Chocolate
Red Wine Hot Chocolate actually exists. How could it not be delicious? It’s easy to make, too. All you need to do is melt a large chocolate bar or the equivalent in chocolate chips and add a few cups of milk. Then, stir in an amount of red wine equal to the milk. Voila! Throw in a dash of cocoa powder or chocolate sauce if you want to make it extra rich.
Gløgg
No, its not just mulled wine.
Gløgg (or glögg, or glögi; it goes by a few different names) is a Nordic invention. It qualifies as a cocktail because it combines mulled wine with further ingredients, including more alcohol, which can include spirits like vodka or brandy. Sometimes the extra alcohols are infused with spices themselves, with the whole mixture heated along with additions like cardamom to give it a distinct flavor.
Mulled White Wine
There’s actually a way to enjoy the quintessential winter warmer in a slightly lighter way. As well as switching out the red for white, you’ll want to change up the spices as well. Keep the cinnamon, but otherwise you can try additions like elderflower, vanilla, sugar, ginger or even sweet apple cider. Then simmer to taste and enjoy!
Winter Sangria
Sangria in winter?
It might seem weird. But, with the addition of winter fruits and the kind of spirits you’d usually drink by the fire in a ski-lodge (i.e. brandy), you can turn this summer staple into a warming delight. As for the wine, you’ll want something dry and fruity. We’d recommend a Rioja.
Whip your own mulled wine at home! Our ‘Some Like it Hot’ Package includes two bottles of French red and a Mulled Wine spice packet, and is available for instant delivery now on the BottlesXO app. Find out more about that here.
Feel like trying this out for yourself? Click here to download the BottlesXO app and get wine, beer and spirits delivered to wherever you are now.
