I have always bought a bottle or three (or four, or more) of mulled wine each winter, since the last few days of December 1999, which I spent wandering around central Prague, getting pleasantly woozy on Glühwein, sold in plastic cups.
A couple of years ago, the alcohol content dropped from 12% or so to 8% (presumably to get to a lower duty level). This year, it dropped to 5.5%, which is normal beer strength. It seems to be the same everywhere online.
In future I'll stick to a bottle of cheapish plonk and those sachet thingies, but why does nobody seem to sell normal strength mulled wine any more?
I stocked up on Sainsbury Taste The Difference Mulled Wine last time they had a 25% off 6 offer.
Regular price, £5, 11% vol. Same as previous years.
They used to do a non-TTD one, that was cheaper (~£4) and 8%, but I'm not sure if they still do it.
Mulled wine is no longer on their website - I think it's only there pre-Christmas. I don't go into the shops these days, but in previous years, there have been a few bottles left in stores in January.
They also did mulled cider this year, which I think was around 5.5%.
I quite liked the Sainsbury one, but couldn't get it as they don't deliver to our area even if they still sell it. Asda only do 5.5%, which isn't wine in my book, and it doesn't even taste nice. Plenty of 5.5% strength stuff online, but couldn't even find 8% this year. I did wonder if there had been some regulation change, but I don't see why, as it's only spiced wine.
Proper mulled wine is one of the pleasures of winter.
Not as good as it was because the use-by date is, say, Dec 28th?
Not being a knob (well, not too much I hope), but why are you buying mulled wine?
Since JS still do the 11%, it seems more like cost-cutting by Asda, than regulations forbidding it.
I like a drink of mulled wine now and then, but also use it to poach pears in. I used to use the cheaper weaker one for poaching, and the better stuff for drinking, but I only have the 11% stuff in stock at the moment - the cheaper one wasn't included in the bulk discount event.
Buying it because making it is a right faff. Much easier to put it in a mug and microwave for 2 minutes (depending how big the mug is).
Never tried the sachets though. Will give them a go next year.
I can't drink wine at all nowadays - it gives me heartburn and makes the eczema on my face flare up
I don't think it's in the spirit of things to buy mulled wine at all! You have to buy loads of whole spices you seldom need, sugar even though don't use it and a bottle of kirsch which will lurk at the back of the cupboard for a year or so.
Mrs Lefty has the same problem. She once asked the doc why and he said he had no idea.
You have to buy loads of whole spices you seldom needHeh - that's also a problem if you try and cook a recipe from an Indian or Chinese cook book
She once asked the doc why and he said he had no idea.Sulphite allergy?
Could be. It came on quite suddenly. It does mean more wine for me. Pity she can't drive though.
Making your own mulled wine fills the kitchen with lovely smells. Constant tasting is required during the process, which leads to adding more things.
Couldn't you just get Gluhwein? Tesco seem to be selling it with 12% alcohol content.
Long, long ago, before the plague ravaged the nation, we had a caff at work, which did a rather lovely hot spiced apple juice with whisky. It sort of made November lockdown bearable.
Can't get to Tesco - 20 odd miles away and they don't deliver round here. One of the downsides of living in the back of beyond.
Could be. It came on quite suddenly.It seems to be all booze for me, now. German beers are the most benign, but even those result in a slight reaction, so I've just stopped drinking altogether. Fuck knows what I'm doing on this thread.
I don't care if it's not in the spirit of things. A nice steaming mugful when you get in from a brisk winter walk is just the ticket.