Dan Clapson’s Wild Blueberry Mulled Wine

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Ingredients

  • 1 dry bayleaf
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1-2 whole cloves
  • 2-3 allspice berries
  • 2-3 whole black peppercorns
  • 2-3 star anise pods
  • 1 lemon, zested in large strips, additional pith removed as best as possible
  • 1 MD cheese cloth bag (or cheese cloth knotted to enclose aromatics)
  • 1 750 mL bottle pinot noir (nothing cheap, nothing pricey.)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2-4 oz. good quality Canadian rye whisky (there’s many great small-batch options across Canada, obviously!)
  • 1 ¼ cup frozen wild blueberries
  • ¼-½ cup maple syrup and/or cane sugar, to taste*
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 MD orange, halved and thinly sliced

Preparation

  1. Place bayleaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, star anise and lemon zest in cheesecloth bag and tie shut.
  2. Place it in a medium pot along with wine, water, whisky, wild blueberries, maple syrup/cane sugar, and salt and bring to a near-simmer on medium-heat, stirring occasionally to help sweetener dissolve.
  3. Mulled wine never needs a simmer, we’re just letting things steep and flavours intermingle, so once the mixture is steaming, about 10-12 minutes, reduce to low heat, cover and let sit for another 18-20 minutes to allow flavours to infuse.
  4. Remove the aromatic satchel from the pot and discard.
  5. Ladle into heat-safe glasses or mugs over top of 1-2 orange slices and enjoy.

*if you don’t enjoy the flavour of maple syrup, or want it less pronounced, just stick with desired amount of cane sugar, noting that the berries will also add some sweetness.

Wild Blue is Good for You!