Mulled White Wine Recipe

Last Updated on December 31, 2025 by becky

A mulled white wine recipe with honey, spices, and citrus all simmered together on the stovetop, plus a splash of bourbon for an extra boozy beverage. The perfect white spiced wine for winter entertaining!

Why Make This Mulled White Wine Recipe?

By now, everyone who reads this blog or follows me on social media knows quite well that I am not a fan of winter weather. The cold temperatures, the short days, the relentlessly gray weather…ugh. I’ll forever remain baffled by people who claim that winter is their favorite season.

That said, I do appreciate a good winter beverage. A steamy mug of hot chocolate or hot buttered brandy makes the season just a tiny bit more bearable, even if it doesn’t help the days to pass any more quickly.

In cities like New York and London, you’ll find mulled wine on the menu at many pubs, restaurants, and cocktail bars; and for sale at outdoor festivals and seasonal Christmas markets like Bryant Park’s Winter Village. But if you’re sticking close to home on a particularly cold evening, it’s also super simple to simmer up your own pot of mulled wine.

Most mulled wine recipes call for red wine (and I also have a red wine mulled wine recipe, if you’d prefer the classics) but in this recipe, I’ve opted to start with white wine for a lighter beverage. Featuring warm winter spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, this mulled white wine recipe works perfectly for winter parties, or for warming up after Christmas caroling, snow shoveling, ice skating, or a long day on the slopes.

To make it, simply pour a bottle of white wine (the cheap stuff is fine!) into a large stock pot, add whole spices, citrus, and honey, and simmer everything on the stovetop. Then, just strain to remove the spices, throw in a splash of your favorite liquor, and serve.

Ingredients for Making Mulled White Wine

To make mulled white wine, you’ll need the following:

• White Wine – Obviously! This recipe calls for a standard, 750ml bottle of white wine. Any inexpensive wine will work, but I recommend something like a pinot grigiot or sauvignon blanc.
• Honey – Honey sweetens the mulled wine. I don’t like my beverages overly sweet, but feel free to taste and adjust, adding more honey to suit your taste.
• Fresh Ginger – Cut the fresh ginger root into 1/4-inch thick slices. You don’t need to peel it—I toss mine into the pot with the rough brown skin intact. And if you have extra ginger (most places sell it individually, but some shops might require you to buy ginger by the bag) you can save it to make homemade candied ginger or ginger syrup.

• Whole Spices – You’ll need whole allspice, whole cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Don’t use ground spices for this recipe, because they’re impossible to strain from the liquid after simmering. If you don’t own whole spices, I recommend investing in big bags. In addition to hot beverages like mulled wine and gingerbread hot chocolate, they’re great for making Indian dishes, or fragrant stovetop simmer pots.
• Navel Orange – One thinly sliced navel orange adds a bright, citrus-y note.
• Liquor – Such as whisky or bourbon, for an extra boozy beverage. You could also use brandy, if you have a bottle left over after making Christmas puddings or my hot buttered brandy recipe.

Serving and Garnishing White Spiced Wine

You can serve this white spiced wine in clear glass mugs, ceramic cups, or enamel mugs, or in clear glasses, like the stemless wine glasses in my photos. For parties, try a pretty heat proof punch bowl ,or a slow cooker if you want to keep the wine warm thoughout the evening. (See my slow cooker notes below.) Don’t forget a ladle for serving!

Some of my favorite garnishes include: Orange wedges or slices of dried orange; whole cinnamon sticks or star anise; fresh cranberries (or a skewer of sugared cranberries!); fresh or sugared rosemary sprigs; apple slices; or pieces of candied orange peel or candied ginger. You could also dip the rim of each mug in cinnamon sugar or Demerara sugar for a sweet, seasonal twist on presentation of a classic summertime margarita.

Using a Slow Cooker

For parties, you can make this recipe on the stovetop, then transfer it to a slow cooker set to the ‘keep warm’ setting for guests to enjoy throughout the evening. If you simmer the wine for the full 20 minutes (as instructed in the recipe below), I recommend removing the whole spices before transferring the liquid to a slower cooker. Otherwise, the wine will be very strongly spiced, with the spices overpowering the other flavors.

You can also skip the simmering step and combine all ingredients in a slow cooker set to low. Allow everything to cook for about 2 hours, or until fragrant, then lower the heat setting to ‘keep warm’ until ready to serve.

Mulled wine can be held in a slow cooker for up to 6 hours.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

This mulled white wine is best served hot.

Store leftover mulled wine in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a slow cooker, in the microwave, or in a small pan on the stovetop.

Recipe can be doubled or tripled. 

Other winter beverages you might enjoy:

Hot Buttered Brandy
Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
Red Wine Hot Chocolate
Easy Mulled Wine
Grapefruit White Hot Chocolate

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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