Cranberry Mulled Wine Cider

Now that cranberries are in season, there’s nothing that makes me feel more festive than a hot spiced cranberry mulled wine cider.

Up until recently, I didn’t know what mulled wine was, so if you’re wondering, it’s a warm drink made with red wine and spices, and is traditional around the holidays.

Being a Boston native turned LA transplant, I never thought I’d miss the cold weather. But now when the holidays roll around, I find myself wanting to snuggle up by the fireplace with a warm cocktail. So this past Thanksgiving, my friends and I rented a cozy cabin in Big Bear Mountain and enjoyed lots of spiked hot cocoa and cider by the fire! (And the hot tub!)

I also made a giant pan of this for my family holiday party, and it was a hit!

The cider is delicious on its own, so if you’d like a non-alcoholic version, you can eliminate the red wine and make a spiced cranberry cider.

Speaking of spices, you’ll also want to grab a bottle of Allspice for this. I learned when making Apple Cider that Allspice is the secret ingredient!

Hot Spiced Cranberry Mulled Wine Cider

Ingredients

2 bags fresh cranberries
1 bottle red wine of choice
1 cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup
½ cup orange juice
20 cups water
Allspice and cinnamon, to taste
Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Instructions

Pour cranberries into a large pot and fill with 20 cups water.
Cover pot and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until cranberries have popped and softened.
Strain, discard cranberries, then pour the mix back into the saucepan and add orange juice, red wine, sweetener, allspice and cinnamon.
Stir over low heat for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Serve hot and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

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