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Non-Alcoholic

Winter Cup

This fruity non-alcoholic mulled wine is brimming with citrus and spice, and perfect for winter parties. A mix of English breakfast tea and pomegranate juice is used in this version. The tea is steeped for 20 minutes, giving it a robust tannic flavour. Combined with tart pomegranate juice, it makes a rich, gutsy stand-in for red wine.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty
Easy
Preparation Time
Less than 30 minutes
Cooking Time
10 to 30 minutes
Bob's  Kitchen Recipe Card

Ingredients for  4-6  Servings

  • 2
    English breakfast tea bags or 3 tbsp tea leaves
  • 250 ml
    Boiling water
  • 750 ml
    Pomegranate juice
  • 1
    Orange, sliced
  • 1
    Lemon, sliced
  • 1
    Lime, sliced
  • 6
    Whole cloves
  • 2
    Cinnamon sticks
  • 2
    Star anise
  • 75 ml
    Sugar syrup (see notes)

Approximate Times

  • Preparation :
    Less than 30 minutes
  • Cooking :
    10 to 30 minutes

Method

  1. Make the tea by putting the tea bags or tea leaves in a heatproof jug, pour over the boiling water and leave to steep for 15 minutes to make a really strong brew.
  2. Strain the tea and discard the tea bags or leaves. Pour the tea and the pomegranate juice into a pan.
  3. Stud a couple of the fruit slices with the cloves, then add all the fruit to the pan. Drop in the cinnamon sticks and star anise.
  4. Set the pan over a medium heat, pop on a lid and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavours. Pour in the sugar syrup, stir and taste. Add a little more syrup if you think it needs it. Ladle into heatproof glasses or mugs and serve.

Notes

This recipe is easily doubled, tripled or even quadrupled if you have a pan – and party – big enough.

You can buy sugar syrup but it’s very easy to make your own. Simply mix 100g caster sugar and 50ml water in a saucepan. Stir and bring to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear, take the pan off the heat and leave to cool.