Homemade Christmas mulled wine with blackcurrants and spices

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Hjemmelaget rød julegløgg med solbær og julekrydder

The aroma of warm, spiced drinks is a wonderful part of Christmas. This homemade Christmas mulled wine combines blackcurrants, orange, ginger and traditional festive spices to create a rich, aromatic drink that's perfect for cold winter days.

The recipe starts with an alcohol-free concentrate that is left to infuse overnight, allowing the flavours to develop. Mix it with red wine for a traditional Christmas mulled wine, or with apple juice, blackcurrant cordial or water for a non-alcoholic version. This makes it easy to prepare a festive drink for the whole family.

Homemade Christmas mulled wine recipe

Cooking time: Approx. 20–30 minutes
Infusing time: 12–24 hours in the fridge

Ingredients for the mulled drink concentrate

  • 700 ml ready-to-drink blackcurrant juice, preferably unsweetened
  • 500 ml water
  • 3 oranges
  • 1 lemon
  • 50 g fresh ginger
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 8 cardamom pods
  • 3 star anise
  • 8 whole allspice berries
  • 8 black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 150–250 g brown sugar, to taste

To serve

  • Red wine, apple juice, blackcurrant juice or water
  • Raisins and almonds (optional)

How to make homemade Christmas mulled wine

  1. Prepare the fruit and spices: Wash the oranges and lemon thoroughly. Using a vegetable peeler, remove thin strips of zest from one orange and the lemon, avoiding the white pith. Squeeze the juice from all the oranges and the lemon, and slice the ginger.
  2. Make the concentrate: Place the blackcurrant juice, water, citrus juice, zest, ginger, sugar and all the spices in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for approximately 20–30 minutes.
  3. Leave to infuse: Cool the mixture quickly, then cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours. This allows the spices to develop a deeper, more balanced flavour.
  4. Strain and store: Strain out the fruit and spices through a fine sieve. Add more sugar to taste if you prefer a sweeter concentrate. Pour into clean Norgesglasset glass bottles and keep refrigerated.
  5. Heat and serve: Combine the concentrate with your chosen drink in a saucepan and heat gently. If using red wine, avoid bringing the mixture to the boil.

Serve warm in heat-resistant glasses. Add raisins and almonds for a traditional Scandinavian Christmas touch.

How to mix your Christmas mulled drink

Start with one part concentrate and two parts red wine, apple juice, blackcurrant juice or water. Taste and adjust the proportions depending on how strong you prefer the flavour.

Non-alcoholic Christmas mulled drink: Mix the concentrate with apple juice, blackcurrant juice or water. This creates a flavourful festive drink that the whole family can enjoy.

Traditional mulled wine: Combine the concentrate with red wine and heat gently without boiling.

If you prefer a lighter, fruitier alternative, try our homemade spiced apple mulled drink.

Prepare your Christmas mulled drink in advance

There's something lovely about welcoming family and friends with a warm, homemade Christmas drink. By preparing the concentrate in advance, all you need to do is mix it with your chosen drink and heat it before serving. Pour the concentrate into clean Norgesglasset glass bottles with airtight closures and store in the fridge. If you're making a larger batch for Christmas, you can also freeze the concentrate in smaller, freezer-safe containers and defrost as needed.

Homemade Christmas mulled drink as a gift

A bottle of homemade mulled drink concentrate makes a lovely Christmas or hostess gift. Pour the concentrate into a clean Norgesglasset glass bottle and decorate it with a ribbon and a small label.

Include a simple note explaining how to mix the concentrate with red wine or a non-alcoholic alternative before serving. That way, the recipient can choose how they would like to enjoy their festive drink.

A thoughtful homemade gift that brings a little extra warmth to the Christmas season.

Norgesglasset glass bottles

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