Chilled Mulled Wine Delight
Warming in all but touch, this drink is ideal for cusp season, when the days can feel like autumn in the morning and summer by afternoon. Cognac anchors the drink, fresh lime brightens it, and a simple syrup steeped with ginger, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom evokes a classic mulled wine. The simple syrup here makes extra and keeps for a month in the refrigerator. Add it to lemonade, drizzle it over oatmeal, or substitute it for standard simple syrup in another cocktail to make it automatically cozy.
Chilled Mulled Wine Delight
A chilled twist on classic mulled wine, this cocktail features the warmth of cognac, the brightness of fresh lime, and a hint of spice from a homemade mulled simple syrup. Perfect for transitioning between seasons!
Ingredients
- 1 (5- to 6-inch) piece ginger
- 2 cinnamon sticks, lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 whole black peppercorns
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- Ice
- 1 1/2 ounces dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Grenache
- 1 ounce Cognac
- 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or up to an hour.
- Prepare the syrup: Grate the ginger and place it in a saucepan with water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and peppercorns. Simmer until fragrant and reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Add sugar and cardamom, stir until dissolved, and then let it cool. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. This makes about 1 cup. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Prepare the cocktail: In a shaker filled with ice, combine the wine, Cognac, vermouth, 1/2 ounce mulled simple syrup, and lime juice. Shake and strain into the chilled glass.