Mulled wine is a popular drink to serve during the holiday season. It’s made by heating red wine along with spices and fruit. The challenge with mulled wine is keeping it warm throughout a party, as it tends to cool down quickly. There are several effective methods to keep mulled wine at the perfect drinking temperature for hours.
Use an Insulated Container
The best way to keep mulled wine warm is to use an insulated container, such as a slow cooker or crockpot. An insulated container retains heat extremely well. Simply prepare the mulled wine in the crockpot, set it to warm, and leave it plugged in throughout the duration of the party. The wine will stay piping hot for 4-6 hours or longer. Make sure to give the mulled wine a stir every now and then to maintain even heat distribution.
Crockpots come in a range of sizes, from 1 quart up to 8 quarts or more. Choose a size appropriate for the amount of mulled wine you’ll be making and the length of the party. For a 2-3 hour party with 20-30 guests, a 4 quart crockpot is ideal.
Use a Thermos
A good quality stainless steel thermos also does an excellent job of retaining heat. Make the mulled wine in a pot on the stovetop per your recipe. When it’s fully heated through, carefully ladle it into a pre-heated thermos. It will stay piping hot for 3-4 hours or more. Thermos come in various sizes, so pick one with ample room for the volume of mulled wine you need.
The thermos method has an advantage over the crockpot in terms of portability. You can keep the thermos nearby for easy ladling, without needing to be near an outlet.
Use a Fondue Pot
A fondue pot is designed to keep liquid contents warm for dipping. It has a metal container suspended over a low-burning flame. Simply prepare the mulled wine in a pot on the stove, then transfer it into the fondue pot container when ready. Add more fuel as needed to the fondue pot burner to maintain the warmth of the wine for hours.
Fondue pots allow for great presentation, keeping the mulled wine contained but visible. Guests can come dip a ladle into the communal pot when they desire a cup of the wine.
Reheat on the Stovetop
For parties where you won’t need to keep the entire batch of mulled wine warm for hours, reheating on the stovetop is an option. Prepare the wine in a pot and keep it over very low heat, just high enough to maintain serving temperature. When it starts cooling down, give it a stir and increase heat slightly to rewarm.
Monitor it closely when reheating on direct heat, as mulled wine can scorch if it gets too hot. Avoid letting it come to a boil again when reheating.
Use a Double Boiler
A double boiler setup can keep mulled wine at perfect drinking temperature for 2-3 hours typically. Bring water in the bottom pot to a gentle simmer. Place the mulled wine in a container held securely in the top portion of the double boiler. The gentle indirect heat from the simmering water will keep the mulled wine nicely warmed. Add more hot water to the bottom as needed.
Stir the wine occasionally and check its temperature every 30 minutes or so. Reheat it directly on the stovetop for a few minutes if needed. Take care not to overheat it.
Heat It in Batches
For a smaller party, consider making mulled in smaller batches that you can reheat as needed. Heat a quart or two at a time in a saucepan on the stove. When it cools down, gently rewarm another small batch.
Make extra mulling liquid so you have it on hand to add when reheating batches. This ensures consistency between batches.
Use an Electric Warmer
Electric warmers provide gentle, constant heat that can keep mulled wine at ideal serving temperature. Models like coffee urns have metal containers to hold large batches of wine. Smaller carafe-style warmers hold 4-8 cups.
Preheat the carafe or urn, then add the hot mulled wine. Set the desired temperature and leave it on the warmer for hours. Check it periodically and adjust the temperature as needed. The gentle heat prevents boiling or scorching.
Add Heat Packs
Self-heating heat packs designed for food and beverages can be used to maintain warmth. After initially heating the mulled wine thoroughly on the stove, divide it into insulated thermoses or other covered vessels. Add one heat pack per thermos, activate it, and quickly seal the container. The packets provide around 6 hours of steady warmth.
Shake or swirl the containers periodically to distribute heat evenly. Check temperature and switch out the packs as needed to maintain the ideal heat.
Use a Chafing Dish
Chafing dishes have open pans over a heat source, originally designed for buffet-style serving. They can be used to keep mulled wine warm in smaller quantities.
Heat the wine fully on the stove first. Transfer into the chafing dish pan and light the fuel beneath it per instructions. Monitor the temperature, refueling the heat source as needed to keep the wine just below a simmer. Avoid actually simmering it to prevent boiling over.
The open pan shape allows for visually appealing service but requires close monitoring so the wine doesn’t reduce too much. Top it off with additional pre-heated wine as needed.
Conclusion
With any of these methods, the key is bringing the mulled wine up to temperature at the start. Be sure it’s fully heated through before transferring to a warming vessel. Start heating it at least 1-2 hours before the event to give time for proper mulling and cooling down to safe transfer temperature.
Use a digital thermometer to check that transfer temperatures are between 160-180°F. Holding it at 160°F is ideal to keep it piping hot but not scalding. With a bit of testing and monitoring, you’ll wow guests with perfectly warmed mulled wine throughout your entire holiday party.