Simple Mulled Wine Recipe Slow Cooker (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take for alcohol to cook off in a slow cooker? ›

After 15 minutes of cooking, about 40 percent of the alcohol remains. Even after an hour of cooking, about 25 percent is left, and 10 percent remains after two hours.

In short, yes, some of the alcohol burns off when boiling mulled wine, but you should only be gently bringing up to the boil and simmering for around 15-30 minutes which isn't enough time to completely remove all alcohol traces.

Mulling Spices

Each recommended using about a tablespoon of mulling spice per 750 ml bottle of wine, which I toasted briefly in a skillet before adding to the wine.

The best red wine to use for mulled wine is Merlot, Zinfandel or Garnacha (also called Grenache). These wines are dark, fruity and full bodied, which means they can support all of the flavors we'll be adding. Look for labels that describe the wine as “jammy” or with “notes of vanilla.”

Raw alcohol will evaporate at 78 C, importantly even with conventional cooking techniques, not all the alcohol will burn off. When using a slow cooker the internal temperature may only just get to this important temperature, and because of the lid any alcohol that does evaporate will return back into the cooker.

One important thing to remember when making your mulled wine – don't boil or heat it for too long! You'll cook off all the alcohol and be left with tasty but boozeless mulled grape juice.

The heat used in mulling encourages greater flavours from the citrus and the spices but also reduces the alcohol content, hence the common addition of a slug of spirit or liqueur just before serving.

Warming the mulled wine in a slow cooker makes the recipe super hands-off and removes the risk of cooking all of the alcohol out of the beverage. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, turn to low until hot, then reduce to warm. To let the flavors develop, let the mixture mull for at least two hours before serving.

Just like with the best wines for sangria, the wines you choose for mulled wine don't need to be fancy (you'll be adding other ingredients to it anyway so there's no need to break the bank on an expensive bottle).

Should you use cheap wine for mulled wine? ›

Use cheap wine. Don't break out a special bottle for this. Cooking the wine will change it: Some of the alcohol blows off (hence the need for added brandy), the wine may taste more acidic (hence the need for added sugar) and any of its delicate, nuanced aromas will become largely undetectable.

The best wine for mulled wine is dry and full-bodied, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Zinfandel, or Syrah. These will stand up to the other flavors and ensure the spiced wine won't be too sweet.

I recommend looking for a bottle of Zinfandel, Merlot, Grenache, Brandy: Similar to sangria, it's also traditional to spike your mulled wine with an extra bit of liqueur. Brandy is the traditional choice, but Cointreau (or another orange liqueur) or tawny port are also delicious alternatives.

Yes. Even though the spiced wine is heated, most of the alcohol remains.

The best red wines for mulled wines taste bright and fresh, such as Grenache, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, fruit-forward Pinot Noir. Inexpensive Bordeaux is another great choice for mulled wine; in fact, claret was a traditional choice for British mulled wine in William Shakespeare's day.

So, for recipes that use alcoholic ingredients, it's important to avoid over-pouring, as the alcohol will not burn off in the pot like it would in other cooking vessels. A slow cooker's lid will trap in that condensed alcohol and simply drop it back into the pot.

7. Too much booze. As mentioned before, slow cookers don't evaporate much liquid, so putting large glugs of wine or beer straight into to your crockpot is not a great idea.

It usually takes around 2 to 3 hours for the alcohol to evaporate completely when added to a dish that is cooking on a low heat. When cooking at high heat, e.g. frying or sautéing, it can take as little as 30 seconds for the alcohol to evaporate.

You need to cook a sauce for at least 20 to 30 seconds after adding wine to it to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Since alcohol evaporates at 172°F (78°C), any sauce or stew that is simmering or boiling is certainly hot enough to evaporate the alcohol.