Why It Pays To Use A Spice Sachet When Making Mulled Wine

Cold weather means many things but above all, to us, it means it is time to start making mulled wine. Nothing warms the stomach and the soul like a cup of rich, slightly sweet wine filled with aromatic spices and fresh citrus. As such, we highly recommend brewing a pot of the stuff for your guests at your next celebration or get-together. If you choose to do so, be sure to use a spice sachet to save yourself from unpleasant textures.

Mulled wine is full of a wide variety of spices. Some are larger, like cinnamon sticks, which can easily be fished out of the finished product or enjoyed as a garnish without too much trouble. However, smaller spices that are commonly found in mulled wine, like cloves, allspice, and anise, can easily make their way into your cup and slip into your mouth as you sip, making for a rough drinking experience. Of course, you could always strain the wine after it brews, but it is far easier to enclose all of your spices in a small sachet that will allow their flavors to permeate while still enabling quick and simple removal come serving time.

You can fashion a sachet out of many different materials. All you need to do is ensure that it's sturdy enough to hold in the spices and permeable enough to allow the wine to pass through so that it can take on the taste of the contents of the sachet. Examples include a coffee filter or a cheesecloth. Simply place your spices onto the material and then tie it shut in a pouch shape with twine or another food-safe material. In a pinch, a fillable tea bag will also do the trick.

To use, place the secured sachet into the wine and let it steep until you are satisfied with the flavor it produces. When you're finished, scoop it out and discard or save for another batch. Wine isn't the only drink you can mull via this method, either. other options to explore include mulled mead and mulled beer.