ADDING SPICES, CITRUS and herbs to wine and slowly warming it is an ancient practice that evolved throughout the years as trade did, mixing European wines with spices from the greater global spice routes. These “mulled” wines were sipped in the winter for warmth and, since the mid-1800s, forever linked to Christmas, thanks to the classic story “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.
But even if you aren’t a fan of Dickens, you still can be a fan of warming mulled wine. Pamela Miller, co-owner of Capitol Hill’s moody co*cktail den Knee High Stocking Co., says mulled wine and winter go together like margaritas and summer. “It just goes with the territory and makes perfect sense. It’s cold and rainy, and you need something that coats your belly, helping you feel warm from the inside out,” she says.
Miller has featured mulled wine on the menu on and off over the years at Knee High, and this winter, the version they’ll be serving includes a shot of dark rum and some brown sugar rounding out the full-bodied drink, plus lime, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. It’s finished with a shot of club soda and served warm and frothy in a big white goblet, which feels very celebratory.
While it’s a nice drink to imbibe on its own, it’s always more fun to think of pairings. Truthfully, mulled wine pairs well with everything from roast beef or sausage to cheese platters. Miller loves to take comforting, classic meat and potato dishes and throw in Filipino twists. It’s the basis of the menu at Knee High: “American comfort food with Filipino flavors,” she says. This winter, that looks like wild boar empanadas, pork adobo and a beef stew called mechado ladled over garlic fried rice, all of which she says would pair very nicely with mulled wine.
“Wild boar has a big presence in the north of the Philippines. I think a bit of meat with that dark, rich wine will be very nice and comforting,” she says.
The mechado stew with braised beef has a rich broth spiked with soy sauce and calamansi, a bright, Filipino citrus that melds perfectly with the lime and warming spices in mulled wine.
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However, if you’re looking to brew up a batch of mulled wine for an upcoming holiday party or can’t make it in to visit Knee High, Miller says making it at home is quite easy. The most important thing is to simmer it slowly to make sure all the spices and aromatics have plenty of time to fully infuse with the wine.
“When you bring out the Christmas tree, you want to bring out a mulled wine or an eggnog — you just have to have it,” she says.
Knee High Stocking Co.’s Fall-Winter 2023 Mulled Wine
2 bottles red wine
2 limes
2 sticks cinnamon
1 dozen whole cloves
6 allspices
1 cup dark rum
½ cup brown sugar or to taste
Club soda
1. Pour 2 bottles of red wine into a large pot.
2. Put limes and spices in a cheesecloth bag, and submerge in the pot with the wine; place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; cook for 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, remove spice bag, and pour in rum and brown sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
4. To serve, ladle into a mug, and top with club soda. Stir, serve foaming and enjoy!
Jackie Varriano covers the food scene in the neighborhoods around Seattle. She loves digging into stories that discuss why we eat the things we do — and when — in our region and beyond. Reach her at jvarriano@seattletimes.com. On Twitter: @JackieVarriano.
