Mulled wine to warm winter walkers in warm pubs or at parties

Mulled Wine
In the chilly UK winter pubs in Hampstead often sell mulled wine to warm those who have walked across the heath and end up want to warm themselves by a log fire whilst drinking warm wine. At home for a Christmas party you can make mulled wine from a base of red wine. But watch out that you and your guests don't assume it's low alcohol and keep drinking it, if it's in a public place and arriving party-goers are able to add spirits which you have left lying nearby, or that visitors have brought to add to the pot. You need to ensure somebody is bar tender watching the mixing and serving of the punch.

I once started drinking a low alcohol punch. Somebody kindly offered to refill my empty plastic disposable cup, and I after I queried why the flavour had changed, I realised that if I drank the second re-mix, I would not be able to drive home and mor would the others in my car.


Mulled wine is basically red wine heated, in a punch bowl if you are making large quantities, with added herbs to float on top, fruit for flavour and health and soft drinks to lower the alcohol content, maybe a mixer, and spirits to increase the alcohol.

You can buy mulled wine sachets.

Looking at the picture I can see the mulled wine is made by Schwartz. As you can see from the picture it is hanging in the wine bottle section of the Morrisons supermarket in the branch in this photograph. 

If you want to make your own, you can add spices such as cinnamon and clove or nutmeg.

(See later post on Mulled wine in Waitrose.)

Picture by Angela Lansbury.

Travel writer and photographer.

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Wine Ice Cream from mercers dairy.com, including mulled wine

Here's something to take to a Xmas party. Wine ice cream. All over the USA. You can order online.

When will it come to Europe? I'll look for a recipe to make your own.A good way to use up leftover wine. Tip it over dry cake or ice cream.

Ice Cream T-Shirts
I also like the t-shirts. But you have to order ice cream to qualify for being able to buy a t-shirt. I can't order because I am not in the USA. Does anybody want to send me a tee-shirt!

Wishlists
Maybe they should start a wishlist for tee-shirts.  Every company which sells retail or through websites should have wish lists as well as wedding lists. That would help enormously when buying Xmas and birthday gifts. Have a monthly or annual giveaway to keep people coming back.

I watched an amusing video of people trying out various flavours. Chocolate. Merlot. Strawberry sparkle.

Wine Ice Cream Flavours from Mercer's (alphabetically):
Cherry Merlot
Chocolate Cabernet
Peach White Zinfandel
Port
Red Raspberry Chardonnay
Riesling
Spice (mulled wine)

The HQ seems to be in New York but they are all over north america with one spot in the north of south america.

I looked at the link wondering if I would find the tee shirts but could find only ordering ice cream.
http://www.mercersdairy.com/#!shop-online/c1prr

I wonder how wine ice cream would suit hot Singapore. In England in November it's so chilly that our thoughts are on mulled wine more than wine ice cream. Hot toddy and mulled wine.


If you are driving or working and don't want to go anywhere near alcohol or caffeine (my doctor told me not to drink coffee after lunch time, you can make a punch bowl with a non-alcoholic punch or one which looks like red sangria and keep diluting it.

I checked Wikipedia and was amazed to discover several entries on wine ice cream.

Wine ice cream, zabaglione, made with wine and egg yolks, is popular in Argentina.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabaione

Note that the Italian spelling is different, so that is not necessarily a typo, or I hope a not a spell checker fairy's change.


Angela Lansbury Travel writer and photographer.