An Australian take on traditional mulled wine featuring Australian native spices such as wattleseed, lemon myrtle and aniseed myrtle.  

It makes for a warm, sweet and spicy digestif on a cold Winters night.  

Recipe is courtesy of Melbourne Bush Food and you can purchase the native Australian spices directly from the links below.

Ingredients:

(Makes 4 servings of Mulled Wine)

750ml of dry red wine (It doesn’t have to be the best, any wine or even non-alcoholic versions will do)

1 orange/citrus fruit or 4 Finger Limes

1 teaspoon of Wattleseed

½ teaspoon of Lemon Myrtle

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon Myrtle

1 teaspoon of Aniseed Myrtle

½ teaspoon of Mountain Pepperleaf

2-4 tablespoons of either sugar, honey or maple syrup.

Optional: ¼ cup of brandy

Method:

Cut citrus into 1/2cm slices and combine remaining ingredients into a saucepan, pouring the wine and brandy in last.

Stir to combine.

Heat on a medium heat until the brew begins to simmer (don’t boil it or you’ll risk losing the alcohol).

Turn the heat down and place a lid on the saucepan.

Cook for at least 10 minutes, or you can allow to brew for up to 2 hours.  Be careful to make sure it doesn’t boil!

Using a strainer or cheesecloth, pour the mixture out making sure to stop the spices from going into the glass.

Serve warm in a cup or mug that is heat proof and garnish with some finger lime pearls or a few slices of orange (or peel).

Recipe and images via Melbourne Bush Food.