As crisp autumn air gives way to the winter chill, simmering a batch of mulled wine or spiced apple cider is the most effortless, authentic way to welcome guests into your home. No sugary pre-bottled syrups and no artificial flavorings. Just rich liquids, gentle heat, and pure botanicals releasing their essential oils and complex flavors exactly as nature intended.
Here’s the part most holiday hosting guides won't tell you: the secret to a bar-quality warm beverage isn't the price of the wine or the cider, it’s the quality of the dried fruit and spices you steep inside it.
The History of Spiced Winter Drinks
Simmering pots of spiced wine and cider might feel like a modern holiday trend, but it is actually one of the oldest methods of winter survival and hospitality.
Long before modern central heating, people relied on hot, spiced beverages to ward off the bitter cold. The practice dates back to the Roman Empire, when soldiers heated wine and infused it with warming spices to stay healthy and warm during winter campaigns across Europe. By the Middle Ages, this evolved into the British tradition of "wassailing," sharing a communal bowl of hot, spiced cider infused with apples and cloves to celebrate the apple harvest and toast to the health of the orchards.
Today, a steaming pot of mulled wine or cider remains the absolute best way to curate a warm, festive atmosphere for holiday hosting or quiet, snowed-in evenings.
Why Whole Botanicals and Spices Outperform Pre-Made Syrups
When building a winter drink, many people reach for liquid concentrates or ground spice powders. Using whole, dehydrated botanicals offers distinct advantages:
“A great mulled wine is the hosting equivalent of a perfectly garnished craft cocktail. It relies entirely on the quality of raw botanicals, looks stunning resting on the stove, and completely elevates the energy of a cold winter night.”
The Garnish GuideThe Ultimate Botanical Blend
You don't need an entire spice drawer to build a world-class warm beverage. The ultimate cold-weather blend balances bright citrus, sweet orchard fruit, and deep warming spice: Dried Orange, Cinnamon Sticks, Star Anise, Cloves, and Dried Apples.
Rather than sourcing separate bulk containers of each spice for the season, we offer our own CGC Mulling Spice Kits. Packed with bar-quality dried orange wheels, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, and dehydrated apples, they come ready to brew right out of the pouch.
Whether you are hosting an intimate gathering or a large seasonal celebration, our kits are concentrated enough to flavor up to 15 gallons of liquid, ensuring you can keep the warm cups flowing all winter long.
5 Minute Recipes
Whether you're hosting a dinner party or get together, or you're making homemade holiday gifts, the Mulled Wine and Apple Cider Spice Kits help you host with ease. Add your liquid, rip open our bag and heat on low.
Spiced Mulled Wine
Yields about twenty-five 8-ounce servings. Do NOT boil or raise the heat, as boiling increases the possibility of cooking the alcohol out of your wine and brandy. Consume responsibly.
Ingredients
Instructions
Pour the wine and brandy into a saucepan or slow cooker. Stir in your honey or maple syrup until dissolved. Add your spice kit ingredients. Heat on medium-low until it is steaming and hot to the touch. Reduce heat to the lowest setting to keep warm. Ladle into mugs & serve.
Spiced Apple Cider
A rich, comforting autumn staple that works perfectly as an all-ages treat or spiked for holiday entertaining.
Ingredients
Instructions
Pour the apple cider into a saucepan or slow cooker. Drop in your spice kit ingredients. Warm over medium-low heat until hot and fragrant, then turn the heat down to low to keep warm. If serving spiked, add a splash of whiskey directly to individual mugs before ladling the warm cider over top.
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When freezing weather arrives, set aside complicated bar recipes, grab your favorite bottles of wine or local cider, rip open a spice kit, and let your stovetop do the heavy lifting.
Wholesale Inquiries
Serving mulled wine or spiced cider on your seasonal menu? Stocking holiday gifts for your shelves? Cocktail Garnish Co. supplies thousands of bars, restaurants, hotels, and retailers nationwide with dehydrated citrus, whole spices, mulling kits, and simmer pot kits, all made in our New York facility.
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