Make Your Own Mulling Spice Mix For Cider or Wine

Spice up your cider or holiday wine with this delicious mulling spice mix recipe! It's easy to make and so delicious!

by Farmers' Almanac Staff Updated: January 16, 2024

Spice up any drink this winter with this delicious mulling spice mix recipe. It’s easy to make and so delicious. Kicks your apple cider or wine up a notch! And the heavenly scents of fall spices will fill the room.

The Origin of Mulling

Why is it called “mulled” wine or “mulling” spices? One theory is that it derives from the Dutch word mol, a type of beer, or the Latin mulsa, a mead-like drink of honey and wine. Another is that “mulled” likely came from the English word “mull,” to ponder. Maybe a nice spiced drink gives you pause to think? Mulled cider appears to be an American concoction; Washington Irving makes mention of it in his 1809 book, Knickerbocker’s History of New York, indicating that mulled cider was one of the New Year drinks in 17th-century New Amsterdam. The American term replaced the traditional English “wassail.”

Recipes for mulling spices vary, but this is blend tastes delicious!

Mulling Spice Mix For Cider or Wine

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Course beverages, Cider, holiday

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped dried orange peel*
1/4 cup chopped dried lemon peel*
3 sticks cinnamon, roughly broken
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoon cardamom pods
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 whole star anise (optional)

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight tin or a tightly closed glass jar or sealed bag.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mulling spice mix per 1/2 gallon of apple cider or wine before you warm it. Strain before serving, or you can use a spice bag to hold the spices while they simmer. Garnish with star anise, cinnamon sticks, and/or fresh orange slices.
It also makes a nice housewarming or dinner gift. Double or triple the mixture and pack it in decorative glass jars and add a festive ribbon.

Notes

*To dry your own orange and lemon peel, try this technique:

Zest and peel fruit. Cut peels into very thin strips possible. Distribute zest and peels evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 200ºF preheated oven until they are dry, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool completely before adding to the spice mixture.

Keyword mulling spices for cider, mulling spices for wine

Farmers' Almanac Staff

This article was published by the staff at Farmers' Almanac. Do you have a question or an idea for an article? Contact us!

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3 years ago

Think I’ll give this a try! Will make cute, affordable and useful Christmas gifts!

Karen Harold

Can the grow bags hang from a chain link fence?

Ann B

Wish you would make your email for both Google and Outlook. Some of us don’t use Outlook so we can email the recipes.

Joyce V

Thanks for the mulling spice. It is going to be a year of homemade and affordable gifts. Looking forward to more ideas.

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