Twinkle By Wenlan

by Eva

I must confess – originally this piece was supposed to be about apple cider. But when I started thinking about the upcoming holidays to get into the right spirit, I couldn’t banish the smell of Czech mulled wine from my mind.

Every year when wondering around the Christmas markets I long for the familiar smell to lure me to the stand. I can see myself taking off my gloves and holding the hot cup to warm my hands, and then carefully sipping the aromatic beverage, feeling the warmth spill inside me. And every year I end up having the very nice but not so satisfying apple cider. So this year I am spreading the word. Trust me. Once you experience the Czech style mulled wine, you will never go back to cider again.

The basic version:

1 bottle of red wine – this can be very cheap since you will be adding spices and sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
15 cloves
lemon peel from one fresh lemon
6 tbsp of sugar

Add all the spices and sugar into the wine. Warm up for about 5 minutes but be careful not to boil – that would eliminate all the alcohol. Take out the spices and serve.

The stronger version:

wine and spices as in basic version
1tbsp of honey
1 pint of orange juice
big glass of brandy or rum

Mix wine, spices and honey in a pot and warm up. Again, be careful not to boil. The longer you leave the spices in, the more flavor they will leave. When ready, take the spices out, pour the brandy in, and serve.

Enjoy and have a happy and cozy holiday!

The famous Czech Drink!