Mulled Wine

Ingredients

• 1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 2-4 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste (or your desired sweetener)
• optional add-in: 1/4 cup brandy (or your favorite liqueur)
• optional garnishes: citrus slices (orange, lemon and/or lime), extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and heat just barely to a simmer over medium-high heat. (Be careful not to boil the mulled wine — you don’t want to boil off the alcohol.) Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.
2. Strain, and serve warm with your desired garnishes.
3. *Feel free to use your choice of sweetener here, or leave the mulled wine un-sweetened.