mmmm Vin Chaud

Anyone that knows me well, knows well that I do not cook (save for my specialty, scrambled eggs).  But drinks. Drinks I can make. Vin chaud, or hot wine, mulled wine, gluhwein. You get the idea.  I sipped it in Paris as I strolled along the Champs Elysee.  Sigh. To evoke the memory, I'm taking this usual outdoor winter drink indoors.  Mmmm Merry Merry.  The Recipe....

Ingredients

• 2 bottles of Beaujolais
• 1 cup of cassis
• 1 Tbs orange zest
• 1 Tbs lemon zest
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 5 whole cardamom pods
• 5 whole cloves
• 6 allspice berries (or 1/2 tsp ground allspice)
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. Pour the wine and csassis in a large pot.
2. Add the orange zest, lemon zest, and all spices.
3. Heat the wine until it just begins to simmer.
4. Lower the heat and allow to steep with the spices for 20-30 minutes.
5. Serve in punch cups or mugs. You may wish to garnish with lemon slices and cinnamon sticks.