The decorations are up, the shopping is done and the cookies are fresh out of the oven. Okay, maybe you haven’t gotten that far yet. No judgement here (we’ve been known to procrastinate on the baking part, too). Either way, you deserve to relax with a super delicious, extra special vegan holiday cocktail.
Normally we’d suggest a nice, big glass of dry red wine (mmmm merlot!). But because it’s the most wonderful time of the year, we felt like adding a sweet holiday twist to our usual go-to.
Before we go any further, a note on red wine — believe it or not, many reds are not vegan friendly. Common carnivorous wine ingredients include isinglass (fish bladders), casein (milk protein), and egg whites. Don’t feel bad if you were unaware of this — winemakers are not obligated to list animal ingredients on packaging, so it’s very difficult to tell whether or not your favourite winemaker is using animal byproducts.
Before hitting the liquor store, we highly recommend checking out Barnivore, which is an absolutely fantastic (and incredibly thorough!) directory of vegan booze.
Once you’ve chosen the perfect red, you’ll find the remaining ingredients at your local market. Follow the steps below to holiday cocktail bliss.
Berry Mulled Wine
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup Stevia (or another sweetener of your choice)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 pieces of star anise
3 cups of your favorite vegan red wine (we recommend a Merlot!)
1/2 cup fresh berries (cranberries are extra festive, but raspberries are also a nice choice)
Orange slices for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large pan, mix the cranberry juice, sweetener, cinnamon, and star anise. Simmer on low for about 15 minutes.
Add the wine and cranberries and stir until simmering. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into a pitcher and pour into glasses. Add an orange slice to the rim (optional) and serve warm. Yum!
Image courtesy of redwineconcept.com
