Origin of mulled wine
Mulled wine or glühwein is a drink that originated in Germany at the end of the Middle Ages. It’s a mixture of wine and spices, supplemented with some fruit. Traditionally, glühwein is consumed at the German Weihnachtsmarkt, but this warming drink is also very popular during the Christmas period in Central Europe. Mulled wine is even sometimes served at Halloween. It’s then given the name 'dragon's blood'. Dragon's blood? Mulled wine has a red colour and can therefore be linked to the bloody/creepy Halloween event.
Preparation of mulled wine over a wood fire
To make it extra cosy, we prepare the mulled wine over the wood fire! For this, we use the Barbecook Junko. This is a wood BBQ which consists of a tripod, a fire bowl and a pulley system on which you can hang a grid, a pot or a pan. In our case, we use a simmering pot. The simmering pots of Barbecook are made of enamelled cast iron, an extremely high-quality material that conducts heat optimally. The pots are available in 3 different sizes: 9L, 3L and 0.7L. For this recipe, we will use the 3L pot.
Light the fire bowl of the Junko wood barbecue with some lighter cubes, kindling and dry logs.
Cut the halved orange and lemon into slices and remove the seeds if necessary. Put the wine in the Barbecook simmering pot and add the slices of orange and lemon, cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, honey and sugar.
Hang the simmering pot above the fire bowl of your Junko BBQ and let the mixture get hot. Take care that the mixture doesn’t boil. Alcohol evaporates from a certain temperature. Make sure you don't exceed 70 °C.
Now add the freshly squeezed orange juice and stir well. Leave the mulled wine to stand over the wood fire for about 15 minutes. Once it’s ready, you can hang the mixture a little further away from the fire using the pulley system. Take a large ladle and pour the delicious mulled wine (a.k.a. the dragon's blood!) into everyone's glass.
Enjoy!
