If you're craving a cozy and warm gin cocktail to sip, you'll love this Mulled Gin Recipe! Complete with Empress gin, fresh juices, red wine, whole, festive spices, and fresh fruit slices. It's easy to make a large batch to share, and it's a real winter treat if you love hot drinks.
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This hot mulled gin is a great way to relax and unwind on chilly winter evenings with loved ones. It warms you up from the inside out! It's also great for holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving and Christmas. The perfect festive alternative to hot chocolate!
If you love warm drinks, you will probably love this slow cooker mulled wine with whiskey!
Looking for more fun gin recipes? Try our blood orange gin cocktail, this pomegranate gin cocktail, or this love potion cocktail!
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Easy to make. This drink is a super simple way to serve many people at once. It couldn't be easier to make. It doesn't use any special equipment or techniques. It's a sort of combine-and-forget-it type of recipe, making it approachable for anyone to prepare.
- Warm and comforting. Perfect for chilly evenings, this drink provides a cozy, comforting experience with its warm, spiced flavors.
- Aromatic and rich in flavor. A delightful blend of spices like cinnamon, star anise, and cloves creates a deeply aromatic beverage that's rich in flavor, and appealing to the senses.
- Visually stunning and festive. The vibrant color and elegant garnishes make it not only delicious but also visually appealing, perfect for festive occasions and holiday gatherings. Since it makes a large batch, it's perfect for serving a crowd easily.
- Easy to customize. Adjust the sweetness and flavors to your liking. Add your favorite fruit and spices. This recipe is both convenient and adaptable to individual tastes, making it a hit for a wide range of preferences.
🍊Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Gin. Use a dry, botanical gin. We used Empress 1908 gin, it's our favorite. It has a lovely flavor and stunning indigo color.
- Whole spices and aromatics. Use your favorite mulling spices. We used a mixture of cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, whole cloves, allspice berries, and a few star anise. We also added a few slices of ginger. We do recommend using whole spices here instead of ground spices. Dried spices will have too strong of a flavor and will make the drink cloudy.
- Orange juice. Make sure to use freshly squeezed orange juice if possible for the best flavor.
- Red wine. We used a red wine blend. Choose something that you enjoy the taste of on its own, but don't pick one that is too sweet.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Lower ABV. For a less boozy version of this recipe, you can swap the wine for more juice instead.
- Juice variations. Replace cranberry juice with pomegranate juice if you'd like. You can also use some apple juice, or apple cider. Cloudy apple juice (also known as unfiltered apple juice) is a common ingredient in this recipe.
- Different sweeteners. If you don't have any maple syrup on hand, you can use any sweetener you prefer, like white sugar, brown sugar, honey, or agave.
- Low carb version. Use a diet version of cranberry juice, and swap the maple syrup for a sugar free maple syrup for a lower carb and lower sugar alternative.
- Spice adjustments. Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking. Add more cinnamon or ginger for warmth, or incorporate nutmeg or juniper berries for additional depth.
- Fruit variations. Swap out the pear for apples for a classic flavor, or add pomegranate arils, or even dried fruits like cranberries or raisins during the mulling process for extra sweetness and texture.
- Enhancing the citrus. Along with orange, try adding lemon slices and a bit of fresh lemon juice for a lemony twist. Grapefruit would also be a good choice. For more concentrated orange flavor, add a bit of extra orange peel or some orange zest.
- Herbal. Introduce herbs like rosemary or thyme for a more complex, herbal aroma.
- Tea infused. For an interesting twist, add a bag of black tea or chai tea during the mulling process for a tea-infused flavor.
- Spicy kick. For those who enjoy a bit of heat, a small amount of chili pepper can add a little kick to the drink.
🔪Prep work
- Cut the ginger, oranges, and pear into thin slices. You'll need one orange for mulling, and one for garnishing later.
- Measure out all the remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
In a Dutch oven or stock pot, combine red wine, cranberry juice, orange juice, and maple syrup. Stir to combine. (Image 1)
Add in the fruit and mulling spices. (Image 2)
Heat very gently over low heat, stirring occasionally for at least 30 minutes, but up to 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld together. (Image 3)
✨Pro Tip: Do not allow the mixture to boil, or you will cook off the alcohol content. Keep the heat very low.
After mulling for at least 30 minutes, but up to 4 hours, strain out the fruit and spices. (Image 4)
Then, add in the gin and stir to combine.
Ladle into tea mugs while warm. Garnish with orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and whole spices. Enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- Use high quality ingredients. Use good quality red wine and fresh juices. The flavor of the mulled gin heavily depends on the quality of these base ingredients. Freshly squeezed orange juice, in particular, makes a significant difference.
- Use gentle heat. Always heat the mixture gently over very low heat, and avoid boiling. Boiling can cause the alcohol to evaporate and can also make some of the spices taste bitter. A slow simmer allows the flavors to infuse without losing the essence of the ingredients.
- Allow time for the flavors to meld. The longer you mull, the more pronounced the flavors. However, be mindful not to overdo it, as the spices can become overpowering. Typically, 30 minutes to an hour is sufficient.
- Balance the sweetness. Maple syrup adds a unique flavor, but the sweetness level can vary depending on the wine and juice you use. Start with a smaller amount and adjust according to your taste. Remember, you can always add more, but you can't take it away.
- Use whole spices. Fresh, whole spices are best. Ground spices can turn the drink cloudy and can be too overpowering, as the flavor is more concentrated.
- Adding the gin. Add the gin after you've finished mulling. This preserves the gin's delicate botanical flavors and ensures you don't cook out the alcohol.
- Strain before serving. Use a fine mesh strainer to remove all the spices and fruit pieces before serving. This ensures a smooth drink and a more pleasant texture.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat very gently on the stove.
Yes, you can prepare it in advance and reheat it gently before serving. Just add the gin after reheating if possible.
Ideally, for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. You can mull it for up to 4 hours on very low heat for a deeper flavor.
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Mulled Gin
Equipment
- dutch oven or stockpot
- skimmer (or fine mesh sieve)
Ingredients
- 2 cups red wine
- 2 cups cranberry juice
- 1 ¾ cups fresh orange juice
- 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup to taste
- 1 medium orange sliced into rounds
- 1 medium medium pear sliced thin
- 5 whole cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole star anise
- 3-4 whole allspice berries
- 4-5 whole cardamom pods
- 8 whole whole cloves
- 4 slices fresh ginger
- 1.5 cups gin
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups of red wine, 2 cups of cranberry juice, 1 and ¾ cups of orange juice, 2-4 tablespoons of maple syrup (to taste) and stir to combine.
- Add the whole spices, the orange slices, and the pear slices.
- Heat very gently over low heat, stirring occasionally for at least 30 minutes, but up to 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld together.
- After mulling for 30 minutes, but up to 4 hours, strain out the fruit and spices, and add in the gin. Stir to combine.
- Ladle into tea mugs while warm. Garnish with orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and whole spices. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat very gently on the stove.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Use high quality ingredients. Use good quality red wine and fresh juices. The flavor of the mulled gin heavily depends on the quality of these base ingredients. Freshly squeezed orange juice, in particular, makes a significant difference.
- Use gentle heat. Always heat the mixture gently over very low heat, and avoid boiling. Boiling can cause the alcohol to evaporate and can also make some of the spices taste bitter. A slow simmer allows the flavors to infuse without losing the essence of the ingredients.
- Allow time for the flavors to meld. The longer you mull, the more pronounced the flavors. However, be mindful not to overdo it, as the spices can become overpowering. Typically, 30 minutes to an hour is sufficient.
- Balance the sweetness. Maple syrup adds a unique flavor, but the sweetness level can vary depending on the wine and juice you use. Start with a smaller amount and adjust according to your taste. Remember, you can always add more, but you can't take it away.
- Use whole spices. Fresh, whole spices are best. Ground spices can turn the drink cloudy and can be too overpowering, as the flavor is more concentrated.
- Adding the gin. Add the gin after you've finished mulling. This preserves the gin's delicate botanical flavors and ensures you don't cook out the alcohol.
- Strain before serving. Use a fine mesh strainer to remove all the spices and fruit pieces before serving. This ensures a smooth drink and a more pleasant texture.
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