One of my favorite things about Germany around the holidays is the constant supply of Glühwein. The citrusy mulled wine is available at nearly every bar, cafe and even the tiniest of convenience shops. When you are out in the city and start to freeze, there’s always mercy in a paper cup of warm Glühwein around the corner.
As I was thinking about cocktails to make with Glük Weine‘s bordeaux, a lighter, chilled variation of mulled wine came to mind. I wanted something you could drink all night long at a holiday party without getting too drunk or waking up with a sugar hangover.
Rather than bury this beautiful bordeaux in heavy clove and cinnamon spice, we elevate it with a homemade cordial of fresh orange, tart cranberry and anise. A single spoon of Campari adds a touch of bitterness, while Peychaud’s drives home the anise flavor.
Once the cordial is strained and chilled, it couldn’t be easier to put this cocktail together. It’s a ‘shake and dump’, so it’s very quick to prepare a bunch of these at a party. You could even mix up a big batch and serve straight from a pitcher.
This recipe was developed as part of our collaboration with Glük Weine, a premium boxed wine delivery company in Germany. Check out our blog post where we meet the founders, taste wine and make more cocktails.
Ingredients
- 6 cl Bordeaux (or other dry red wine)
- 2 cl Cranberry Orange Cordial (recipe below)
- 1 cl Orange Juice
- 1 tsp Campari (or other bitter liqueur)
- 6 cl Sparkling Water
- 2 oz Bordeaux (or other dry red wine)
- ⅔ oz Cranberry Orange Cordial (recipe below)
- ⅓ oz Orange Juice
- 1 tsp Campari (or other bitter liqueur)
- 2 oz Sparkling Water
Instructions
- Shake all ingredients except sparkling water for just a few seconds on ice
- Dump everything including ice into a wine glass
- Top with sparkling water
- Give a quick stir to incorporate the sparkling water
- Top with an orange slice and shaved star anise
Cranberry Orange Cordial
Ingredients
- 2 cups Fresh cranberries
- 2 cups Orange juice (fresh squeezed or good quality please!)
- 1 cup White sugar
- 1 whole Fresh orange (zest from entire orange)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes
- Remove from heat and let cool
- Strain through a large sieve pressing out all the liquid
- Strain again though a fine sieve
- Chill in the fridge for at least a few hours before using
- Cordial stays fresh for several weeks in the fridge