When the weather starts to chill, I crave warm spices and hot drinks like this Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine. This mocktail mulls together all my favorite flavors of the holidays: orange, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, anise, and pulls them together with non-alcoholic red wine. It smells just as amazing as it tastes.
Making this non-alcoholic mulled wine is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. It is a great alternative to hot apple cider or hot chocolate if you are looking to mix things up.
Mulled wine is an alcoholic wine and has been around since the 2nd century! The Romans invented this delicious recipe to help keep their bodies warm during the winter. They basically warmed up wine, but it helped the Romans stay alive as they conquered Europe, spreading their love for mulled wine with them.
During the middle ages, spices were added to warm wine to avoid sickness. This drink became particularly popular in Sweden, where many alternatives of the drink were created. In the 1890s, the drink became associated with Christmas (but it’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving punch recipes non alcoholic). Wine sellers would share their own recipes of mulled wine in bottles looking like Santa Claus and the drink spread throughout Europe again.
Now, you can find mulled wine at holiday parties and part of many Christmas traditions! It is the perfect drink for chilly nights, especially when drinking in front of the fireplace. You can even use it to toast the new year in place of non alcoholic champagne.
Some other classic holiday drinks you should try are our Crockpot Apple Cider, non alcoholic eggnog recipe, Gingerbread Martini Mocktail, Non-Alcoholic White Russian, or Candy Cane Christmas Mocktail. I absolutely LOVE a yummy holiday drink.
What you need
Trust me when I say this recipe is SO easy. You pretty much throw everything in the pot and let it simmer for 40 minutes. It’s a win-win because it’s tasty AND easy!
Non-Alcoholic Red Wine
When you are purchasing your non-alcoholic red wine, make sure it says 0.0% ABV somewhere on the bottle. It is so important, especially because this drink is non-alcoholic.
This recipe is a mocktail and we have a whole post dedicated to the Difference Between Cocktails and Mocktails if you are curious. It basically comes down to alcohol content.
Optional: Brandy Extract
Brandy extract is totally optional, but it does add a nice flavor to the drink. I have our favorite brandy extract linked in the recipe notes if you are interested.
How to make it
- Peel one orange with a pairing knife or peeler into the medium pot (off of the stove) then juice the orange into it as well
- Add non-alcoholic wine, all spices, brown sugar and brandy extract if using and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, roughly 2 minutes
- Boil mixture on high heat for 1 minute then reduce to low and simmer for 40 minutes
- Strain the mixture, discarding all spices and then serve immediately
- Garnish cups with sliced orange and cinnamon sticks if you desire
Top tip: Add a bit of brandy extract for extra flavor!
Does making mulled wine remove alcohol?
It does not. You would think that because the wine is warm that the alcohol would burn out, but that isn’t the case. It is simmered as a very low heat, so the wine doesn’t get warm enough for the alcohol to evaporate.
That is why we recommend using a non-alcoholic version of wine. In all of our mocktails, we suggest you find a non-alcoholic version of whatever drink you are using to keep it free from alcohol. Make sure you are looking for a 0.0% ABV (alcohol by volume).
What is a good non-alcoholic substitute for wine?
There are plenty of options for wine substitutes that do not contain any alcohol. You can find non-alcoholic wine at stores (but make sure it is 0.0% ABV), but you can also use juices.
Fruit juices like pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, apple juice, orange juice, and red grape juice are great choices when it comes to making non-alcoholic beverages. One of my favorite things about making drinks is that it is all about experimenting with flavors and finding the best recipe. Note that fruit juices do contain more sugar and there is no need to have extra sugar in beverages.
Is alcohol-free wine really alcohol-free?
It depends. For a drink to be considered “non-alcoholic,” it has to contain 0.5% ABV or less. So, there is still some alcohol in the drink and if you drank the whole bottle, you would be at the legal limit.
We always use alcohol-free wines that have a 0.0% ABV so there is no alcohol at all. That way, you can have as much of this tasty non-alcoholic mulled wine that you want without getting drunk.
Is non-alcoholic wine just grape juice?
Nope! Non-alcoholic wine goes through the same fermentation process as regular wine, but removing the alcohol at the end of the process. This way it has that yummy wine taste and is less sugary than grape juice.
My absolute favorite non-alcoholic wine brand is Buonafide Foods. They have a ton of information on their website about de-alcoholizing wines and their history. The wine is actually made in Italy!
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Non Alcoholic Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 1 large orange
- 750 ml 0.0 non-alcoholic red wine (roughly 3 1/3 cups or one standard bottle)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 small cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 star anise
- 1 teaspoon brandy extract (totally optional but adds nice flavor)
- Optional: sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
- Peel one orange with a pairing knife or peeler into the medium pot (off of the stove) then juice the orange into it as well
- Add non-alcoholic wine, all spices, brown sugar and brandy extract if using and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, roughly 2 minutes
- Boil mixture on high heat for 1 minute then reduce to low and simmer for 40 minutes
- Strain the mixture, discarding all spices and then serve immediately
- Garnish cups with sliced orange and cinnamon sticks if you desire
Brandi says
I’m not a huge hot chocolate fan, so I never have a yummy warm drink to look forward to in the holiday season, but that’s not true anymore! This mulled wine recipe is so freaking good and I want to have it all the time. Now I can sit by the Christmas tree, sip on a warm mulled wine, and enjoy the season.