Cozy Mulled Wine

I know I say this about everything, but I love mulled wine. I mean, what's not to love about it? Red wine: incredible. Hot drinks in the winter: perfectly cozy. Mulling spices: yes, please. I seriously cannot wait to make this when it gets cold out. There's something magical about curling up on a comfy couch with a soft blanket and a big ol' mug of hot mulled wine. Give me an excuse, I beg you.

1 bottle of red wine, I like to use cabernet sauvignon

    No need to splurge here, the bottom shelf stuff is fine.

4 oz apple brandy, I used Laird's Applejack
1/4 cup honey
2 small oranges
3 cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg
2 cardamom pods
7 whole cloves
5 allspice berries
3 whole black peppercorns
3 star anise pods

1. Juice one of the oranges, and slice the other into wheels
2. Put the wine, honey, spices, juice, half of the sliced orange into a crock pot on high and warm up until wine is hot.
• I like to let mine sit for at least an hour in a half before serving to make sure it's nice and infused.
• You can also do this over the stove, but make sure you watch it. You don't want it to start boiling.
3. Set it to low/keep warm after serving, this will work for a few hours before it starts getting too spicy.
• The spices can also be removed with a slotted spoon or skimmer to keep it from being over infused. The longer the spices are in there, the more flavor it will have. You want to find a perfect balance.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick and orange wheel

This drink can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated over the stove, but keep in mind that it will never taste as good as it does when it's fresh.