Best German mulled wine or “Glühwein” recipe for cold winter nights

Nothing is cozier or more warming than a mug of hot German mulled wine.

Nothing is cozier or more warming than a mug of hot German mulled wine, known in Germany as Glühwein. Popular at traditional German Christmas markets you can also buy it premixed outside of Germany, but if you want true depth of flavor and fresh spices, follow my Glühwein recipe to make the best mulled wine you’ve ever had.

Coming from a small town in Central California, hot mulled wine was not anywhere on my radar. Hot cider wasn’t even a concept. Then I went to Germany for a year at Heidelberg University and my concept of hot, wintry beverages was tossed upside down. I discovered the heartwarming, winter delight of “Glühwein,” or German-style hot mulled wine.

Oh boy did I…. On one student field trip to the Romantic Road area and the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, renowned for its Christmas market, a fellow student and I wandered the snowy streets and Christmas market booths, breathing in deeply the smells of cinnamon, spice, wine and all that’s nice. The mission we had acc…