It’s not often we remember our first sip of something. The first sip of milk? Too young for that one. Beer? Too many additional sips to remember much of anything. Purple drank? Never boarded that train. But mulled wine is an exception: it was the winter of 2006, passing through a Christmas market in Leipzig en route to Bratislava from Berlin. The glühwein was warm, spicy and citrusy; it came in a mug garnished with a cinnamon stick. It’s the perfect drink for the holiday season: just pleasant and alcoholic enough to warm everyone up, but not like handing out rounds of high-octane Manhattans that could turn Thanksgiving dinner into an episode worthy of Jenny Jones.
Rather than recreating the memorable cup from Leipzig, we tapped the expertise of Jane Elkins, former barkeep at some of New York City’s best cocktail haunts, Booker & Dax and Cienfuegos, and currently of another, the recently opened Grace pub and restaurant. Elkins came up with three variations of mulled wine, each rooted in tradition and brushed up with ingenuity from behind her bar.
Regal Glow
- 6 drops bourbon vanilla extract
- 0.5 oz. cinnamon syrup
- 0.75 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
- 2 oz. dry Riesling
- 1 oz. water
- Star anise pod and orange peel (for garnish)
“This is based on German/Austrian gluhwein”, Elkins says. “It’s a lighter style, using Riesling in homage to Count John IV who has the first recorded recipe. He was also the first to cultivate Riesling.”
