Vin brulé is a soul-soothing, bone-warming Italian mulled wine.
The famous vin brulé, the most popular drink of Christmas parties, is a specialty that has gone through centuries of history.
This thousand-year-old recipe originates in ancient Rome, with the contidum paradoxum, as described by Apicius in his “De re coquinaria”: a wine sweetened with abundant honey, heated several times and flavored with pepper, nard leaves, saffron, and dates. It was generally offered to guests at the end of the meal.
Adding spices to wine was a widespread practice, partly because of their nutraceutical properties (cinnamon is rich in antioxidants and one of the oldest natural remedies for fighting cold and flu), but mainly as a way to cover the taste of the wine, which at the time was poor quality and often rancid due to the bad conditions of transport and storage.
The turning point occurred at the end of the 19th century, when winemakers and apothecaries decided to bring their products to market stalls, offering them hand-painted bottles for the holidays, creating the phenomenon of Christmas wine. This trend reached even the most distant nations.
What kind of wine for Vin brulé?
The type of wine to use depends on your tastes. Use a full-bodied, fruity red wine, but do not waste a high-quality or expensive wine. Go for a cheap merlot, cabernet sauvignon, Primitivo (Zinfandel), Negroamaro, or Salice Salentino.
Vin brulé recipe
This recipe is basic and simple, but feel free to add spices and adjust the sweetener to taste.
Ingredients
2 liters of red wine
The peel of an orange
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
150 g sugar
Optional: You can fortify it with 2 tablespoons of spiced rum, Grand Marnier, triple sec, brandy, cognac, or apple brandy.
Insert the cloves in the orange peel, add all the ingredients and cook at 70° C for about 5/10 minutes.
Warning: never exceed the indicated temperature; the wine should never boil!
Ladle through a fine-mesh strainer into mugs or heat-resistant glasses to serve. You can garnish each mug with an orange slice or stick of cinnamon if desired. Serve steaming hot.
The pattern: Fringe coaster, a FREE pattern worked in the round in one piece.
Vin brulé is a lovely beverage to sip on cold winter days.
Enjoy the taste and let me know how it came.