How to make it:
Feel free to cut this recipe by 1/3 or by half, but use the same amount of spices in a muslin cheesecloth bag. This recipe is great for hosting a crowd.

You can certainly toss the whole spices straight into the pot without a bag, but be sure to use whole and not ground so they can be ladled out. Feel free to slice up the whole orange and place into the pot, not just its peel.

Do not use expensive wine for mulled wine. Just choose a quality wine that's in the $10-20 price range. Merlo, Malbec, Zinfandel, or a Garnacha are great choices for this. And while brandy is classic in mulled wine, it’s not entirely necessary. If you don't like brandy, or don't want to buy a bottle, skip it—all the other components will be lending plenty of boozy, spiced flavor to every sip.

Resist the urge to crank up the heat. Wine is delicate. Heat it too long or too high, and eventually your wine will taste too spicy, turn into syrupy, and the alcohol will evaporate over time. Alcohol flavor becomes more harsh when heated, so balancing out the flavors with a bit of brown sugar is important not to skip.

Cook the mulled wine in a dutch oven or stainless steel pot. Simply combine all of the ingredients, cover, and cook on medium-low heat until the wine is steaming hot and at a simmer. Once it’s sufficiently warmed up, reduce the heat to low. Or, warm your mulled wine in a slow cooker. Set to low and heat for about 3 hours or until heavily steaming, then turn to warm. Just make sure the sugar is dissolved before serving.

Remove the bag of spices. You can freeze the bag and use again in the future. Spices don't lose their potency as quickly as herbs do, so they can be reused once more; especially if you cut the recipe in half.

Serve warm/hot in mugs and enjoy!

Storage: This drink is best enjoyed the day of, but if you have any leftover mulled wine, let it cool completely before storing for a day in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop when ready to enjoy.