My long love affair with a nightly glass of red wine is over, and mulled pomegranate cider is helping me replace not just the wine, but the evening ritual I loved. It’s a warm, spiced, non-alcoholic drink for darker days and the holiday season.
I’ve mentioned this many times over the years, but I bookend my day with my morning coffee and my nightly glass of red wine. That little routine is surprisingly important to me, and while I’ve tried a few times to give up the wine, it hasn’t stuck. But this time is different, I can tell. Recently, my nightly glass started triggering a kind of ringing in my ears. It turns out alcohol can do that for some people, and while it’s not dangerous, it’s uncomfortable enough that I know I’m done.
The hard part is replacing the ritual
For me, giving up wine is about more than just finding something else to drink. It’s replacing that moment at the end of the day when I pour a glass, shift gears, and officially call it quits. Especially once the days get short, that little ritual matters.
So I’m not interested in replacing it with a glass of water. I want something with flavor and a little ceremony to it ~ something I actually look forward to pouring at 6:30.
Preserving the antioxidants
One bonus about red wine is that it comes with some antioxidant upside. Luckily, plenty of alcohol-free choices do too:
- pomegranates
- cranberries
- red and purple grapes
- red, blue, and purple berries
They’re all rich in plant compounds with antioxidant activity, and I’ve been using them to make drinks that feel a little more interesting than plain water.
This hot mulled pomegranate cider is one of my favorites. I make a batch, keep it in the fridge, and warm up a mug when 6:30 rolls around.
How to mull pomegranate cider
Mulling is an old-fashioned way of gently heating cider, wine, or juice with whole spices so the flavors slowly infuse the drink. The cinnamon and clove give you that classic holiday flavor, while cardamom, star anise, ginger, and peppercorns make it more complex and keep the sweetness in check. The exact combination of spices can vary according to your taste ~ see my recipe for mulling spices here.
For this version I gently heat the juices with the following (keep the heat low and don’t let it boil)
- cinnamon
- cardamom
- clove
- star anise
- ginger
- peppercorns
- orange peel
- rosemary
My secret ingredient
A tea bag is the surprise optional ingredient that gives the drink a little tannic edge and keeps it from being too sweet. You can use your favorite black or herbal tea.
Make it once, pour all week
This is the kind of drink that gets better when you make it ahead. Simmer the cider, pomegranate juice, and spices, strain it, and keep it chilled in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Then when you want a cup, just pour what you need into a mug and warm it in the microwave or in a small saucepan. No measuring, no steeping, no evening project ~ it’s ready when you are.
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Pomegranate Mulled Cider
Ingredients
- 6 cups apple cider
- 2 cups pure pomegranate juice, unsweetened
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 whole star anise
- 4 –5 thin slices fresh ginger
- 6 black peppercorns
- 3 wide strips orange peel
- 1 small sprig fresh rosemary
- Optional: 1 black tea bag, for a little tannin and dryness*
Instructions
- Combine the apple cider, pomegranate juice, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, ginger, peppercorns, and orange peel in a large saucepan.
- Bring just to a simmer, then lower the heat and let the cider gently steep for 20–30 minutes. Avoid a hard boil.
- Add the rosemary during the last 5–10 minutes so its flavor stays fresh rather than becoming too strong.
- If using the black tea, add the tea bag during the last 3–4 minutes, then remove it.
- Strain out the spices and serve hot.
As the daughter of an alcoholic father, and a drug addicted brother, I am forever conscious of my family tree in this regard. I went from red wine to hard seltzer – less calories. But after my annual dry January this year, which I tweaked to allow for either a glass of wine or a seltzer at our Friday night out dinner, I have found that not drinking at night has improved my sleep immensely! For that reason alone, I’m sticking to my Friday night out cocktail being the only alcohol I drink. I drink water and feel no need for a replacement treat.
One side note though, it’s been 6+ weeks and I haven’t dropped a single pound. Disappointing!
I’ll be saving this beautiful drink for fall, when the fresh cider hits the orchard stands. Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you for your honesty. I’m in exactly the same position, buying and by he case and believing it was good for me. I’m going to make a batch of mocktails for those nights when a craving hits. Also I love your recipes. Thanks.
I am so glad I found your site, I have been wanting to give up my nightly wine so I can lose some weight. Two glasses a night is 1/2 of a bottle, I really love my nightly wine. After reading your post I feel I can do it! Thank youso much for your post
Good luck Paula, as I write this I’ve settled on a glass a night, and it’s been working out better for me. I’m sure that cutting down on your wine will help you lost weight, but the trick, as I found, is not to substitute dessert for the wine!
When I cut back (about 3 years ago–my goal is to limit to 2x/week), I got a soda stream which helped with my alternative rewards! And I also tested a ton of alcohol free beer to find what I liked best. Can’t wait until pomegranate season to try your recipe!