Pop Brixton isn’t just dirty burgers and beers. The New Zealand Wine Cellar does what it says on the tin and Christmas isn’t Christmas without mulled wine. So we popped down to get their recipe.
Apparently, in between conquering the world (but not Asterix), the Romans invented mulled wine in the second century as a way of fighting off the cold. The Germans call it Glühwein and often spike it with rum, while our Nordic cousins have Glögg which is served with raisins, dried cloves, blanched almonds and ginger biscuits.
The Cellar say: To make great mulled wine, you’ll need to start with the best ingredients and this includes the most important one – red wine!
“Use a red that is young, fruity and ideally with soft tannins. The most important characteristic is it should be a wine that you enjoy. We love to use a fruit-driven Pinot Noir such as Kumeu Village from Auckland.” Grab a glass at Pop for £6.50.
Ingredients
2 clementines
1 lemon
200g caster sugar
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole nutmeg (grated)
1 vanilla bean stalk
2 star anise
2 bottles of Kumeu Village Pinot Noir (or other red wine as you wish)
Bay leaves
Method
Peel large sections of zest from the clementines & lemon.
Add sugar, zest & squeezed clementine juice into a pan.
Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, nutmeg & vanilla.
Add 2/3 of the wine.
Simmer until sugar has dissolved
Bring to the boil for 4-5 minutes before turning the heat down.
Add star anise and remaining wine
Heat gently for a further 5 mins and serve
Pop Brixton, SW9 8PQ | 020 3633 3986 | thenewzealandcellar.co.uk | @NZCellar
