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This slow cooker mulled wine is the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold winter’s night! Red wine is warmed with apple cider, orange juice, and spices for a naturally sweetened drink that is perfect for your next holiday party.
If you’ve been around here long enough, you know we love a good pitcher cocktail! A make-ahead drink means that you don’t have to spend your whole evening playing mixologist for your guests while still giving everyone something just a little bit more fun to drink. So, when we were discussing holiday cocktail ideas, this slow cooker mulled wine was a no-brainer! With it’s fruity (just-enough) sweetness and it’s comforting spices, a sip of this drink is like a big, warm hug. It makes me think holiday parties, sitting around the fire talking with friends, and strolling around on a cold night to look at Christmas lights.
While you can absolutely simmer a batch of mulled wine on the stove, we love this crock pot version the best! You’ll simply add two bottles of red wine (we used this Malbec), 1 cup apple cider, 1/2 cup of orange juice, and your mulling spices to a slow cooker, then cook on low for one hour. The most important thing here is just to make sure that the wine doesn’t boil! After one hour, your house will smell amazing and the mulled wine will be ready for serving. At that point, just set the slow cooker to warm, set out some mugs and a ladle, and you are ready to go. We sure hope you enjoy this slow cooker mulled wine as much as we do!
Here are a few more of our favorite winter cocktails:
Cranberry Agua Fresca (with options for a non-alcoholic beverage, a white winter sangria, and a mimosa)
Ingredients
- 2 bottles red wine like a malbec, merlot, cab, or whatever you have on hand!
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 orange cut into 1/2-inch thick discs
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 3 star anise flowers
Instructions
- Slow cooker: place all your ingredients in the slow cooker and set on low for about 1 hour.
- Stovetop: place in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cover while serving.
- Note: if you let it boil/simmer for too long, the alcohol will cook off.
Nutrition Information
Cass says
Hi! The text says to cook low for 1 hr but the directions say 2 hrs. What’s best in the slow cooker? Thanks!
Amber Goulden says
It’ll be one hour!
Nicole Musser says
If I want to cut recipe in half do I still cook for the same amount of time?
Amber Goulden says
Yes! This will give the spices time to infuse.
nicole (thespicetrain.com) says
This recipe sounds delightful and I love the idea of using the slow cooker, that takes all the stress out of it. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Jacob Arzaga says
How many people does this recipe serve?