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Between the hot buttered rum, Irish coffee and hot toddies, there are so many delicious ways to take holiday coziness by the mugful. I’m personally a fan of glühwein, a German mulled wine that really brings the gemütlichkeit (yes, Germans have a singular word that means “that heartwarming feeling of carousing with your people”). The best thing about it is the ease with which you can make it booze-free — even without the alcohol, this warm quaffer will bring rosy blush to the cheeks (after all, glühwein does mean “glow wine”).

Here, the tannin-bomb and tannenbaum collide — I use a combination of black tea and hibiscus to bring polyphenolic astringency, a blend of cranberry juice and tart cherry juice for the scrumptious red fruit of wine, and a variety of warm spices to keep it festive. If they wish, your guests can add a nip of brandy or rum for a little extra holiday cheer. Makes 16 servings

Note: Decaf black tea is fine here, and this is a great use for holiday-spiced tea blends or chai. You can also use a cranberry-cherry juice blend instead of separate juices.

You can totally make this ahead and return it to the juice bottles — just allow the steeped/spiced glühwein to cool to room temperature before straining and stashing in the fridge. Gently reheat to a simmer before serving, and it’s best within 24 hours.

Ingredients

3 black tea bags

3 dried hibiscus flowers (or 3 hibiscus tea bags)

1 quart tart cherry juice

1 quart cranberry juice cocktail

½ cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries

2 small oranges, halved

10 whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

3 star anise pods

10 allspice berries

6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

3 tablespoons honey or agave syrup (plus more to taste)

Orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and star anise pods for garnish

Instructions

Steep the tea and hibiscus flowers in 2 cups of boiling water for 3 minutes, then strain.

Pour the strained tea into a large pot and add the remaining ingredients (except for the garnishes) and bring to a low simmer. Alternatively, you can heat it in a crock pot or countertop pressure cooker on the “keep warm” setting. Steep the spices in the hot glühwein for at least 15 minutes, then taste and add honey as needed before serving.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/12/recipe-superabundant-na-mulled-wine-gluhwein/