Mulled White Wine Is A Delicious Twist On A Classic German Holiday Drink!
If you are looking for a different take on classic Glühwein, you have to try white mulled wine.
This delicious drink is made with white wine instead of red wine, but it still has the same festive spices and citrus flavors that make mulled wine so popular.
Mulled white wine, known in German as Weißer Glühwein, is not a new invention, but it has become more popular in recent years, especially at the German Christmas markets.
We’ve come to love white Glühwein over the last few years – and it’s easy to make at home with just a few ingredients.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for mulled white wine if you want to make it at home:
- White wine – A dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or a dry Riesling.
- Cinnamon sticks – To flavor the wine.
- Orange – Preferably an organic orange.
- Lemon – Preferably an organic lemon.
- Orange juice – Without pulp.
- Cloves – Whole cloves for extra flavor.
- Sugar – To balance the acidity; alternatively you can also use honey.
- Star anise – For extra flavor, optional.
- Rum – Optional addition; you can also use brandy if you prefer.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- If you’re making mulled wine for a crowd, you can easily double or triple the recipe.
- Use a decent quality dry white wine (doesn’t have to be the best quality). Avoid overly sweet wines since you’ll add sugar.
- Use fresh spices for the best flavor.
- If you don’t want to add sliced citrus fruit, you can also just add orange juice and lemon juice.
- Adjust the sweetness to taste. If you don’t want to use granulated sugar, you can also use honey, agave syrup, or other sweeteners of your choice.
- Heat the wine gently – you don’t want to boil it, since this would evaporate some of the alcohol and make the citrus fruit bitter.
- Adjust the simmering time based on your preference, 30 minutes for a milder flavor and 45 minutes or longer for a more intense taste.
- You can make the mulled wine in a slow cooker instead of on the stove. Just remove the citrus and spices after about 45 minutes to 1 hour and turn the slow cooker to “keep warm”, otherwise the mulled wine may become too bitter.
- You can add extra alcohol, such as rum or brandy if you like.
How to Make Mulled White Wine – Step by Step Instructions
Making mulled white wine is really easy, but if you’d like to see some visuals, have a look at the process photos in this section.
Or if you just want to get started, skip to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this post.
First, rinse the orange and lemon well (especially if you didn’t buy organic fruit). Then cut them into slices. You can set aside a couple of slices to garnish the glasses if you like.
Next, add the wine, fruit slices, cinnamon sticks, orange juice, cloves, sugar, rum (if using), and star anise (if using) to a medium saucepan.
As mentioned above, you can also make the mulled wine in a slow cooker if you prefer.
Cover the pot with a lid and heat the wine over low heat for about 30 minutes (for a milder flavor) to 45 minutes (for a more intense flavor). Stir occasionally.
It’s important not to let the wine come to a boil or some of the alcohol will evaporate.
Taste the white Glühwein and add more sugar if needed. Strain it before serving to remove the cloves, star anise and cinnamon sticks.
If you like, you can decorate the glasses with the reserved citrus slices and a cinnamon stick (optional). You can also use the orange slices from the pot if you want. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
If you have leftover mulled white wine, let it cool, then store it in a pitcher, jar, or similar container in the fridge (without the spices and citrus fruit).
For the best taste, drink it within a few days.
You can reheat the wine in a pot on the stove or pour some into individual mugs and microwave it one or two mugs at a time. Just make sure the wine doesn’t boil.
FAQ
The best white wine for mulled wine is a dry wine that can handle the addition of spices and fruit. We recommend using a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or dry Riesling for this recipe. You can adjust the sweetness level later with sugar, but you can’t reduce the sweetness of a wine that is already sweet.
The main difference between red and white mulled wine is the type of wine used as the base. Red mulled wine is more traditional in Germany and is made with red wine, while white mulled wine uses white wine. The spices, fruits, and other ingredients may also vary depending on the type of mulled wine. For example, white mulled wine is often made with lemon, while red mulled wine is not.
Yes, white wine can be heated, but not boiled. Boiling white wine will cook off some of the alcohol content. The best way to heat white wine is to simmer it over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Related Recipes
If you liked this white Glühwein recipe, here are some other German drink recipes that you may enjoy:
- Eierpunsch (German Egg Punch made with Eierlikor)
- Kinderpunsch (German Non-Alcoholic Punch)
- Weinschrole (German Wine Spritzer)
- Apfelschrole (German Apple Spritzer)
- Colaweizen (Mixed Beer Drink)
Mulled White Wine
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry white wine, 750 ml / 25 fl oz
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 organic orange
- 1 organic lemon
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, more to taste
- 3 cloves
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons rum, optional
- 2 star anise, optional
Instructions
- Rinse the orange and lemon and cut them into slices. You can set aside a few slices for garnishing.1 organic orange, 1 organic lemon
- In a medium-sized pot, combine the wine, fruit slices, cinnamon, orange juice, cloves, sugar, rum (if using), and star anise (if using).1 bottle dry white wine, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 tablespoons orange juice, 3 cloves, 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons rum, 2 star anise
- Cover the pot with a lid and heat the wine over low heat for about 30 minutes (for a milder taste) to 45 minutes (for a more intense taste). Stir occasionally. It's important that the wine doesn't come to a boil or some of the alcohol will evaporate.
- Taste the mulled wine and add more sugar if needed. Strain the mulled wine before serving. Decorate the wine glasses with the reserved citrus slices and a cinnamon stick (optional).
Notes
- If you’re making mulled wine for a crowd, you can easily double or triple the recipe.
- We recommend using a dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or a dry Riesling for this recipe.
- If you don’t want to add sliced citrus fruit, you can also just add orange juice and lemon juice.
- Adjust the sweetness to taste. Instead of granulated sugar, you can use honey, agave syrup, or other sweeteners of your choice.
- Heat the wine gently – you don’t want to boil it, since this would evaporate some of the alcohol and make the citrus fruit bitter.
- Adjust the simmering time based on your preference, 30 minutes for a milder flavor and 45 minutes or longer for a more intense taste.
- You can make the mulled wine in a slow cooker instead of on the stove. Just remove the citrus and spices after about 45 minutes to 1 hour and turn the slow cooker to “keep warm”, otherwise the mulled wine may become too bitter.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
This recipe was first published in October 2020 and updated in November 2023.
