Is there anything cozier or more festive than relaxing during the holiday season with a toasty mug of something spicy? We don’t think so!
In this case we’re not talking chili spicy, but spice spicy — think cloves, cinnamon, cardamom. Anything warming and earthy that picks up your spirits when it’s cold outside.
Traditionally, most beloved holiday drinks feature these spices. Whether you’re reaching for a cup of eggnog or Mexican hot chocolate, spices make the festive vibes.
Unfortunately, when you drink a warm cuppa something special, it’s usually not just spicy. It’s also super sweet! Holiday drinks are almost always full of sugar. If you’re sensitive to sugar, have blood sugar issues, or simply don’t want a huge hit of the sweet stuff when you’re celebrating, this is far from ideal.
Which is exactly why we developed this recipe for a Low-Sugar Mulled Wine! It has all the rounded, deep flavor that embodies the spirit of the season without the headaches, sugar crashes, or digestive upset.
Drinking mulled wine is a long-held tradition in many parts of Europe. It’s typically associated with the gorgeous, colorful Christmas markets found in countries like Germany, Austria, and Belgium. If you haven’t tried mulled wine before, we highly recommend you give it a try!
Our version uses Dry Farm Wines, our absolute favorite wine company. Each bottle of Dry Farm wine has only 1 gram of sugar per serving. And their wines are all biodynamic and organic, with rigorous lab testing to ensure the highest quality! For this recipe we recommend using their Grenache Blend (similar to a Pinot Noir). You can use any wine you choose, but if you want to make this an extra low-sugar Conscious Cocktail, this wine is perfect for you.
We’ve taken further steps to reduce the sugar by using Lakanto’s monkfruit-based Sugar-Free Maple Syrup sweetener. It has a mild maple flavor that perfectly compliments the spices and fruits in this recipe without the sugar in a typical maple syrup.
And in classic Conscious Cleanse fashion, we’ve also added pomegranate juice for extra nutritional benefits. Pomegranate juice contains powerful antioxidants that are perfect for countering the inflammation that comes with drinking alcohol.
We hope you enjoy this recipe with loved ones this season! It’s the perfect end to a day spent outside in the cold, especially if you can drink it in front of a roaring fire.
Cheers to a spicy, cozy holiday season!
The Conscious Cleanse Team
Low-Sugar Mulled Wine
Yield: 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
- 2 large oranges
- 1 bottle of Dry Farm’s Grenache Blend (can sub with any Pinot Noir)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 star anise pods
- 3 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
- 4 tbsp Lakanto Sugar-Free Maple Syrup
Instructions:
Juice the first orange. Cut the second orange in half and juice one half, slicing the other half into rounds.
Add the orange rounds, orange juice, wine, pomegranate juice, and whole spices to a medium sized saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it just starts to bubble, stirring frequently. Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the Lakanto sweetener and mix thoroughly. If you want a sweeter mulled wine, add one tablespoon of Lakanto at a time to taste.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the spices. Reserve the strained orange slices. Ladle your mulled wine into mugs, garnishing with the orange slices (you can also add a cinnamon stick and a few star anise pods for an extra festive touch) and serve immediately.
Note: if you prepare this mulled wine ahead of time, cover with a lid and set it aside. You can reheat it on low heat when you’re ready to serve. Please note that this cocktail is best served the same day.
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