The scent of cinnamon and cloves, cardamom and oranges is seductive – especially when it wafts from the steam of mulled wine into the cold noses of Christmas market visitors. Deceptive, however, is the belief that warm alcohol can sustainably warm cold feet and ears. What is the good in mulled wine? And what warming alternatives are there?
Mulled wine with warming effect?
Nothing against a sip of mulled wine on a cold winter day – only you should not rely too much on its warming effect. Because alcohol enjoyed in frosty outdoor air gives a deceptive warmth: ethanol dilates the blood vessels, so that more blood reaches the surface of the skin. The body releases the heat all the more quickly.
This effect is over after a brief feeling of warmth, and you feel more cold than before. If, on the other hand, you drink your mulled wine in warm rooms, the body gets its money’s worth.
Cinnamon, cloves and cardamom as ingredients.
Mulled wine is very popular, as evidenced by rising figures. Around 50 million liters of mulled wine were consumed in Germany last year. No wonder, because it tastes delicious and is even said to be healthy. Let’s start with the good and completely harmless ingredients:
- Cinnamon: an indispensable mulled wine spice, stimulates the body to produce digestive juices. It is a good remedy for bloating and is even said to have an aphrodisiac effect. The Greek philosopher Theophrastus, around 350 BC, praised cinnamon as a delicious spice, especially with wine. By the way, the best cinnamon comes from Ceylon from the real cinnamon tree and is very bright.
- Cardamom: He is said to have an appetizing effect. He also helps against flatulence.
- Cloves: Smell good above all, have an antibacterial and digestive effect. Already in ancient China and Egypt knew cloves and their healing effects. Arab traders brought them to Europe in Roman times.
Mulled wine: calories in alcohol
In fact, the spices in mulled wine trigger positive feelings and emotions through the essential oils via the olfactory receptors. And that alcohol in moderation makes you cheerful is well known.
Still harmless, but a calorie bomb, is the sugar content in mulled wine. Without the sugar, however, the drink would not really taste good. Between 80 and 100 calories per 100 milliliters are in it, with a large cup quickly add up to 200 calories in mulled wine.
Alcohol content in mulled wine
The alcohol content of mulled wine is legally required to be seven percent, but on average it is between nine and ten percent – only when it boils does it evaporate again. This is even checked: In some cases, so-called mulled wine checks take place at Christmas markets.
The alcohol in sugary (and also carbonated) drinks enters the blood very quickly because the intestinal mucosa absorbs the alcohol more quickly due to the sugar. According to the German Nutrition Society, a quart of wine contains about 20 grams of pure alcohol. The body breaks down 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight in an hour. This means that an 80-kilogram man needs about 2.5 hours, and a 60-kilogram woman three hours, to break down the alcohol.
5 facts about mulled wine – MurlocCra4ler
Healthy alternatives to mulled wine
Fortunately, there are non-alcoholic but equally fragrant and warming alternatives: hot, sweetened tea or punch made from apple or elderberry juice. The ingredients here are also basically the same as in the basic recipe: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, possibly also anise and vanilla, orange and lemon slices. Only the red wine is replaced by grape juice or apple juice and orange juice.
Mulled wine recipe for 1 liter
- Boil about ½ liter of water, infuse 2 tea bags of fruit tea in it for 5 minutes
- 1 small glass each of apple juice and orange juice, alternatively elderberry juice.
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 cloves, a pinch of cardamom, a little vanilla sugar.
- To sweeten candy sugar or honey according to taste
