To mull, or not to mull? Wine and the festive season

Mulled wine has as many enthusiasts as detractors. I often find myself in the latter camp – except at Christmas. In cold cities across Europe, revellers stand outside drinking mulled wine as they flirt, laugh, skate, shop and sing together. It’s a crucial ingredient to festive merriment.

Some trace mulled wine back as far as ancient Egypt, where wine was often spiced with pine resin and figs to ensure a safe transition to the afterlife. Others say it came from the Roman emperors; Apicius, the Roman collection of recipes from the 4th century AD, contains a recipe for “conditum paradoxum”, wine that was sweetened with honey and spices. Variations of mulled wine have subsequently existed all over the world, although traditionally it’s associated with European countries that once formed part of the Roman Empire.

Although the French version of “vin chaud” is often made with Cognac, the most festive among us prefer the German version called “Glühwein”, which literally means “glowing wine”, notably due to the addition of a “schuss” or shot of something stronger, like whisky. And why stop at wine? Many of us enjoy spiced apple cider and beer, and indeed, English versions like wassail were made from beer or mead. Medieval texts say that spiced alcoholic drinks made with sugar were destined for the lords, while ones made with honey were for the people.

For several centuries in Britain, posset was a popular drink of milk curdled with wine or ale and spices. It was used to promote health and is the origin of people drinking warm milk to help them sleep. One particular version included eggs. Known as “eggnog”, this became the most popular mulled beverage in the American colonies. Nowadays, most Americans “spike” their eggnog with rum, although earlier British versions were made with madeira or sherry.

Recipes for mulled booze abound like snowflakes. There is a multitude of variations of spice blends (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, star anise and more) and debate about the type of hooch that forms the foundations – port and claret appear to be traditional. The inclusion of fruit is also the subject of much debate, although raisins or orange peel can add a nice touch if you’re into that sort of thing. Some people strain, some don’t.

If left to my own devices, I prefer to eschew mulled wine in favour of apple cider with maple syrup, cinnamon, orange peel and a couple of cloves. If I’m feeling particularly joyous, I toss in a splash of rum. I’m certainly not a purist but, outside of a Christmas market, I prefer my wine straight from the bottle.

Christian Holthausen is a Franco-American wine specialist based in London. Twitter: @bosiechampagne