Can You Freeze Mulled Wine?

Mulled wine is one of the best things about the holiday season. It soothes and comforts like no other hot drink and the smell just oozes festivity.

The only downside is there always seems to be leftovers, so how can you avoid waste?

Whilst red wine can go in the fridge and even the freezer when the need arises, can the same be said for mulled wine?

Can mulled wine be frozen?

Does Mulled Wine Freeze?

Yes, just like any other wine including freezing red wine or freezing Prosecco, mulled wine will freeze between -9 and -6°C (15-21°F). 

Alcoholic drinks take a little longer to freeze and require colder temperatures than water, it’s why so many of your favourite spirits can be stored in the freezer and remain in a liquid state.

But how much longer does it take for mulled wine to freeze?

How Long Does it Take for Mulled Wine to Freeze?

Once it has been cooled down to room temperature, mulled wine takes about 3-5 hours to become frozen.

Mulled wine takes time to heat up, and the reverse is true too.

Just like most liquids, mulled wine won’t freeze immediately.

The process isn’t an immediate one, but after 1 hour or so the effects of the freezer should start to be noticeable. 

Once your mulled wine has become frozen solid how long can it stay in the freezer for?

How Long Can you Freeze Mulled Wine for?

Mulled wine can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

So, just like chefs do with their ingredients, it’s smart to label the mulled wine with the date it first entered the freezer and the date it needs to be used by.

This will help to ensure that the mulled wine doesn’t go past its best.

But if mulled wine needs to be used within 3 months of being in the freezer does that mean that putting mulled wine in the freezer will make it go bad?

You can find out more about how long mulled wine lasts here.

Does Freezing Mulled Wine Ruin It?

Just as with white wine, putting mulled wine in the freezer will help it to become very cold, very quickly.

But freezers not only change the state and temperature of our drinks, they can alter the flavours too.

Whilst the spice and the sugar of mulled wine is at its best warmed up, applying very cold temperatures to mulled wine may mute some of these festive flavours.

And whilst it will still taste like mulled wine, there’s no guarantee that once defrosted it will taste as good as it did the first time you made it.

So if that's the case, when should you freeze your mulled wine?

When Should You Freeze Mulled Wine?

Mulled wine is designed to be served warm, so it may seem counter productive to put mulled wine into the freezer.

However, when made in large batches you may find yourself with leftover mulled wine and this is where a freezer can come in handy.

Freezing mulled wine is great for two things:

It will help to prevent waste and it can also help you make festive, frozen cocktails.

Who needs Sangria when you can have pitchers of Mulled Wine Slushies at your next holiday gathering?

So if you’ve frozen mulled wine with the aim of using it later on, what is the best way to defrost your mulled wine? 

How Do You Defrost Mulled Wine?

Frozen mulled wine is no different to any other frozen products that need defrosting.

Low and slow is the golden rule. 

One obvious way to defrost your white wine is to simply put it in a fridge and let time do its thing.

However, a much quicker method that’s just as safe is to place the frozen mulled wine into a container of warm water and allow these warmer temperatures to quickly dissolve the mulled wine back into liquid.

But what if you end up with the same problem and you don’t use all of your defrosted mulled wine?

Can you refreeze defrosted mulled wine?

Can You Refreeze Mulled Wine?

No, it’s probably not a good idea to refreeze mulled wine once it has been defrosted. 

Not many things can handle being frozen multiple times and chances are the flavours of the mulled wine will have been altered so much at this point it won’t be pleasant for yourself or your guests.

After all, if you can’t taste the seasonal spice of mulled wine then what’s the point?

So what are the best ways to freeze leftover mulled wine?

Best Methods to Freeze Mulled Wine?

Everyone knows that you apply heat to mulled wine, not cold.

But when needs must, what are the best ways to freeze mulled wine? 

Mulled wine is often heated up in batches, so here are some tips for how to freeze any leftovers you may have

• Always decant the mulled wine into freezer safe containers.

• Split the mulled wine into portionable quantities so you only need to defrost the amount you need. Freezable pouches or bags are great here.

• Use ice trays for smaller amounts of mulled wine. You can add these to your next cocktails to add some fun and festive flavours.  

• Make sure you seal your containers well to avoid any unwanted spillages.

And there we have it!

May you never have wasted mulled wine on your hands ever again!

Before You Go...

We hope this provides you all the information you may need on Does Mulled Wine Freeze?

Read our next article about everything you need to know about freezing wine here...

Does Wine Freeze (Full Guide)

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