Mulled Wine

Ingredients

• 0.25 cup granulated sugar
• 1 count orange – zested into wide strips; juiced
• 1 count lemon – zested into wide strips
• 8 count whole cloves
• 2 count cinnamon sticks
• 2 count star anise
• 25 ounces red wine
• 2 ounces brandy
• 0.125 teaspoon nutmeg – freshly grated
• orange – thinly sliced (for serving)

Instructions

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the orange and lemon, avoiding the white pith; cut the orange in half and squeeze out the juice. Put the granulated sugar, the juice from that orange, both citrus zests, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and 0.5 cup of the red wine into a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until dissolved, then reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy and very fragrant, 8–10 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the remaining wine, add the brandy and the nutmeg, and warm gently until steaming but not boiling, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat. For a smoother drink, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof jug; or ladle directly from the pan, leaving the whole spices behind.
5. Serve in heatproof mugs. Garnish each mug with orange slices (for serving), if desired.