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This is your new holiday party trick: a mulled wine recipe with caramel vodka. Warm, a little sweet, a little fruity, and exactly the kind of thing people will ask you for the recipe to halfway through the night.
I love a traditional mulled wine recipe as much as the next person, but a few years ago I made a very last-minute swap and, honestly, I haven’t looked back. Instead of brandy, I used caramel vodka (brilliant, I know). The result? A warm little mash-up of my cranberry orange sangria and caramel apple sangria—two very festive cocktails in their own right—but this one wins. Boozy, fruity, spiced, a little sweet, the kind of drink that makes you feel both cozy and celebratory. Also, it’s beautiful, which never hurts.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This
- It’s unique—Unlike traditional mulled wine, this one brings a kiss of caramel to the mix with caramel-infused vodka, which is available at most liquor stores.
- It’s super cozy—This cocktail is warming thanks to both its temperature and the warming spices used to flavor it. It’s perfect for the cooler months, whether you’re entertaining or just kicking back and watching the game.
- It’s easy—Despite the complex flavor, mulled wine is super easy to make. Mulling spices can be purchased pre-made!
Mulled Wine Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Red wine—When it comes to red wine, go for something full-bodied—think California Zinfandel, Grenache, or Merlot. They hold up to the heat without losing all the alcohol, and their bold flavors play exceptionally well with the cloves, cinnamon, and star anise happening here.
- Caramel vodka—Several popular brands of vodka offer a caramel flavor. It might sound intriguing if you’ve never had it before, but it’s easily accessible.
- Maple syrup—A great way to sweeten things up to balance things out and deepen the flavors.
- Spices—You can buy a blend of mulling spices, or you can throw in your own cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves.
Recipe Modifications
- Use apple cider. Swap out the orange juice and give your mulled wine a cozy fall vibe with apple cider.
- Use apple brandy. If you prefer, you could use apple brandy instead of caramel vodka. You won’t get that nice essence of caramel, but it’s still really good.
- Swap the Sweetener. I prefer using maple syrup, but another great option is a flavored simple syrup or this elderberry syrup recipe for a nice deep flavor.
How to Make Mulled Wine With Caramel Vodka: Step-By-Step
Step 1: Prepare the Spices
If you’re using prepackaged mulling spices, secure them in a floating tea infuser or a little cheesecloth bag (you could even make your own). This helps you infuse your wine without having to dodge a bunch of floating spices when trying to serve it. If you’re just using cinnamon sticks, full star anise, and cloves, you can pop those right into the wine as they’re large enough to avoid when spooning up someone’s drink.
Step 2: Get Everything Into a Pot
Pour the wine into a large stainless steel pot or a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Add in the caramel vodka, maple syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, cranberries, and either your spice satchel or the loose cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves. Give it a good stir.
Step 3: Heat It Up
Warm the wine over medium-high heat. As soon as the wine is warm, bring the temperature down to medium-low. Once you see steam, bring the heat down to as low as it can go or transfer everything to a warmed slow cooker. You don’t want to bring the wine to a simmer. All you want to do is warm it through until it’s just hot enough to steam.
Step 4: Serve Hot
Mulled wine is best when it’s nice and steamy! I like serving it in glassware or coffee mugs.
Recipe Tip
To keep the cloves in place and from floating around in the wine, you can stud an orange slice (as seen in the photos) so they stay in place. Plus, it looks fancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s pretty simple: full-bodied dry red wine, liquor, a sweetener, fruit (oranges, cranberries), and spices (cinnamon, star anise, cloves).
Usually recipes call for brandy or bourbon, but this recipe uses Caramel-flavored vodka. It creates such a fun and delicious flavor profile, and it’s a pleasant surprise for everyone.
Mulled Wine Recipe with Caramel Vodka
Ingredients
- 1.5 litres full-bodied red wine, like California Zinfandel, Grenache, or Merlot.
- 1 cup Caramel-flavored vodka
- 2 TBSP Maple syrup
- 2 oranges, one juiced and one cut into slices
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 4 star anise
- Enough cloves to stud around one of the orange slices, between 10-12 depending on the size.
Instructions
To prepare the spices:
- If using prepackaged mulling spices, secure them in a floating tea infuser or a cheesecloth bag. (You could make your own with large cheesecloth if need be.) This helps infuse your wine without having a bunch of small spices floating around. However, if you’re using cinnamon sticks, whole star anise, and cloves, you can add them directly to the wine, as they’re large enough to avoid when spooning up someone’s drink. (See notes re: cloves.)
To make the mulled wine:
- Transfer the wine to a large stainless steel pot or a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Stir in the caramel vodka, maple syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, cranberries, and either your spice satchel or the loose cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves.
- Warm the wine slowly over medium-high heat. As soon as the wine is warm, bring the temperature down to medium-low. Once you see steam, reduce the heat to the lowest setting or transfer everything to a warmed slow cooker. You don’t want to bring the wine to a simmer. All you want to do is warm it through until it’s just hot enough to steam.
- Mulled wine is best when it’s nice and steamy. Serve it in glassware or coffee mugs.
This was such a hit at our seasonal dinner! It was gone within 30 minutes of guests arriving. I wish I had made more because I don’t feel like I really got to enjoy enough of it 😅. I omitted the anise because I hate it. Sorry!
Oh Yum! I’m going to make this warm, flavorful and delicious drink all winter long.
It’s seriously so good!