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.
Congrats to you on the wine. I too decided to challenge my thinking around drinking. First I didn’t judge myself, second I started with 30 days thanks to 30 days to cut your alcohol habit. Then my next stint was 90 days and finally January 8 will be a 120 day no alcohol break. Thx for sharing your tips
It sounds like you did it just right, Patricia, congrats! I love your point about not judging yourself…so important.
Sue, just made it… you will laugh.. well, I actually almost cried but it is funny…. after sieving it, I searched for a container since it made a lot – picked a pitcher, but it was non-pyrex… as I am carrying it from sink to countertop, it broke! It literally broke the bottom off, I got COVERED in hot cider, glass everywhere, cider on the rug… 😉 Oh, well – lesson learned…
make sure to use Pyrex if the cider is still super hot… or you will end like me! 😉
(hubby is adorable… cleaned up most of the mess as I changed my clothes)…
OMG Sally!! I will be sure to update the recipe and remind everybody to cool it down before storing. Your husband sounds like a saint…try to have a relaxing night after all this (you’re going to need a glass of wine!)
Good for you . I have pretty much stoped also ,but I missed the day is done relaxing sir down drink. Water just wont do it I drink it all day. n I have now figured out that as long as I have my nice wine glass, I can put a good red or white JUICE in it and it is just as as relaxing and I don’t get sleepy Pomegranate is my fave
It’s definitely the relaxing effect that I crave too Bessie, and you’re right, water just doesn’t do it. I like your idea of using a wine glass to drink out of ~ smart!
Sue, you are a brave woman! I feel I am privileged hearing you reaching out at a turning point in your life. As for the pomegranate cider it does have a celebratory status. I wish you and your family a happy new year! To you!
Thanks Alexandra ~ I’m looking forward to cooking up a fantastic 2018 🙂
I am sure you will! Look forward to better eating!
My son is addicted to alcohol and drugs. He has been in rehab, Caron, one of the best in the country. Thankfully he has been drug and alcohol free for nine months now. We went to family week at Caron and learned a lot! Do you know that using alcohol as a mood changer, enhancer or relaxer is actually a misuse of the drink? Do you know that looking forward to your next drink or placing importance on its presence in one’s life is also a warning sign? Alcohol should be consumed simply for itself, not for what it can deliver. If you have alcoholism in your family there is a chance that you have inherited the gene. But in the end, even if one doesn’t have the gene, repeated behavior rewires the neuro-pathways in the brain. It begins to look for the dopamine rush that it derives from the substance. It takes one year for the brain to rewire itself to form new pathways that deliver the rush of dopamine. That’s why it is a little challenging in the evenings right now. It’s going to take time not to miss it.
Your decision to stop drinking is very sound. Good for you! I’m so glad because (forgive me!) some of the comments you’ve made on this post have red flags all over them. I would urge you, for your freedom’s sake, to consider abstaining completely. If that sounds like too much you may want to talk to a professional just to make sure you are truly okay. You are so truly gifted and I know, firsthand how those gifts can become compromised by this dreadful disease.
So sorry about your son, Yolie, that’s a tremendous strain on a family. Here’s to his continued success with the battle in 2018, and thanks for the interesting information.
Good for you for making a positive change. I reduced my alcohol consumption too – I’ve found as I get older that I just can’t bounce back from a night out with a couple glasses of wine. So I limit myself to one when we go out, and I’ve found I really don’t miss it. More often than not I skip it as I’d rather spend the calories on dessert.
Sue, I wish you all the best in 2018. Thanks for this blog – I think of you as my friend and enjoy each post. Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year.
Thanks Amy, I think of my readers as friends, too <3
There were a few years that I’d finish a whole bottle of wine a night. I’m still in the weaning phase but I’m definitely drinking less than I was and feeling better for it. I agree with the substitute idea. Usually I have flavored seltzer water but I’m going to try this recipe because I love the sound of all the spices in it. Great post!
I’m glad this resonated with you Jill. I think finding the right type of non-alcoholic drink is a tough one…I’m still working on that. Seltzer water is good but not quite enough for me, and fruit juice is often too sweet, so I’m still experimenting.
I adore the colour! No alcohol…good for you, Sue. Happy New Year!
The color just makes me happy…Happy New Year!
After my husband died I found drinking alone was not much fun, so I quit. I had a glass of white wine on Christmas day and found I no longer like the taste of it. I tend to mix fruit with water and drink that. I just made your beef and barley soup, it is minus 18 celsius here, so a good day for soup, it was delicious. Have a wonderful New Year. I love your recipes.
Interesting, sometimes our bodies just know what to do, and they guide us. I’m so glad you enjoyed the beef barley soup, that’s perfect for this deep freeze!
Off the subject I wanted to let you know I tried your gingerbread recipe and I have to say it beat out the one I’ve been using since childhood! Just the right amount of cloves and so soft on the inside. I made snowmen and rather than icing I used melted chocolate and coconut for the stencil face and scarf! A big hit and now I have a new recipe for years to come! Happy New Year!
I’m thrilled that the gingerbread worked for you, I do think it’s pretty perfect, I like the texture and the soft spices a lot. I can remember very hard, sharply spicy gingerbread from past years and I think this one is such an improvement.