As we get even closer to Christmas, a warming glass of mulled wine is just the thing to get you in the festive spirit! With staying in the new going out, Iain our HH&CO Backstage Cookery School chef has shared his delicious, mulled wine recipe, full of Christmassy spice with a kick of rum or sloe gin! It’s super simple, so put on the Christmas playlist and give it a go at home!

What you’ll need:

• 2 x 750ml bottles red wine
• 250g of demerara sugar
• 2 oranges
• 1 grapefruit
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ¼ nutmeg, freshly grated
• small piece ginger, sliced
• spiked with brandy, sloe gin or run (optional!)

What to do:

• Put the sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat, then squeeze in the orange and grapefruit juice.
• Roughly chop the left-over peel and add to sugar.
• Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, and sliced ginger and about 10 gratings of nutmeg. Then add a splash red of wine, enough to cover the sugar.
• Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the red wine, then bring to the boil.
• Keep on a rolling boil for about 5 minutes, until you’ve got a lovely thick syrup which will create a great base and allows the sugar and spices to infuse the wine. It is important to make the syrup first as otherwise, you will evaporate all of the alcohol and no-one wants that...!
• When your syrup is thick, turn it down to a simmer and add the rest of the wine.
• Gently heat the wine and after around 5 minutes, add a tipple of sloe gin, rum or brandy (for that extra kick!) and ladle into heatproof glasses and serve!

Sip with a Mince Pie in hand, or some piping hot Pigs in Blankets for a truly festive feel!