Spending the winter in Barcelona brings a lot of exciting traditions to discover. You will learn about the Caga Tió and the Caganer and can indulge in delicious treats on Barcelona’s Christmas fairs. However, you might be looking for a place to enjoy mulled wine, so we searched to the best places to find mulled wine in Barcelona.
A Traditional Must-Have during the Christmas Period
If you are not familiar with mulled wine, it is a spiced wine, usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices, sometimes raisins and served hot or warm. You can find this traditional drink especially around Christmas. The most common places would be the Christmas markets in Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Scandinavia, and many other countries in Europe.
It originated in the 2nd century, when it was created by the romans, who would heat up wine to defend their bodies against the cold winters. As they conquered much of Europe, their love for mulled wine spread across their empire and the regions they traded with, bringing it up to the Rhine, Danube and the Scottish border. Victorians eventually turned it into part of the Christmas festivities in Europe. The most famous kinds of mulled wines are “Glühwein”, which dates back to 1420, and is mostly served on German Christmas markets and “glögg”, which is famous in Scandinavia. Glühwein is usually prepared from red wine and Nordic glögg, can be made from Korn or Vodka as well, both are spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, ginger and cardamom.
Places in Barcelona with Mulled Wine
The Christmas markets in Barcelona have their own charm, with many artisanal stands and vendors, selling their handmade products. They do not have the typical feel like other European Christmas markets, but the authenticity is enjoyable. However, most of the Christmas markets do not usually serve mulled wine. But, this should not stop you, from visiting Barcelona’s Christmas markets, as there are always chances to find mulled wine.
Feria de Navidad de Port Vell
The Christmas market in Port Vell usually has one or two stands that sell mulled wine, but even if you don’t find any, the markets atmosphere makes up for it. The market offers a lot of entertaining attractions and they even have an ice rink that is open until January 6th, where you can enjoy an exciting and fun day with family or friends.
Nimura by Raima
If you’re in Barcelona and seeking a festive spot to enjoy a warm Glühwein (mulled wine) this holiday season, look no further than Nimura by Raima. Located within RAIMA, Europe’s largest stationery store, this unique venue offers a magical Christmas experience. Known for its stunning design and wide array of creative workshops, Nimura immerses visitors in the spirit of the season. Whether you’re sipping on their aromatic mulled wine or joining one of their festive workshops, Nimura by Raima is the perfect place to celebrate the holidays and feel the magic of Christmas in the heart of Barcelona.
Adress: Carrer Comtal, 27 Ático, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona, España
Bars in Barcelona with Mulled Wine
Even though the Christmas markets might not always offer mulled wine, there a few bars in Barcelona that can satisfy your craving for the festive drink. Here are the ones we found:
The Chill Bar
The Chill Bar is located next to Gaudís masterpiece, Sagrada Familia. Even though the famous landmark is always busy with tourists, the bar is a refuge from the masses. You can enjoy your favourite tapas and a wide range of high quality and self-made dishes. The cosy, friendly and multicultural atmosphere offers a perfect spot, if you are visiting the Christmas fair at the Sagrada Familia. Flee the cold and complete the experience with the taste of delicious, mulled wine!
Adress: Carrer Provença, 424, L’Eixample, 08025, Barcelona, España
The Devils Kitchen
A three-minute walk from Plaza España brings you to this German bar in Barcelona. They serve typically German cuisine, like Schnitzel and Bratwurst and almost every other German dish that you can think of. In this quaint bar, you can enjoy a good beer from tap, while watching Bundesliga and enjoy a little bit of German atmosphere. To further incorporate the German winter traditions in Barcelona, they offer traditional German Glühwein in winter.
Adress: Carretera de la Bordeta 52, Sants-Montjuic, 08014, Barcelona, España
Bodega del Born
Located in Barcelona’s charming old town district El Born, Bodega del Born is another bar that has mulled wine in winter. You can choose whether to enjoy it at the vibrant bar itself and experience the charming decoration and friendly atmosphere, but they also offer take away, which makes it the ideal choice, if you want to wander around the beautiful, narrow streets and watch the Christmas lights spread around the old village of Barcelona, the perfect Christmas experience.
Adress: Carrer dels Mirallers 14, Ciutat Vella, 08003, Barcelona, España
Las Vermudas
If you are looking for a Spanish variation of the drink, consider visiting Las Vermudas. They were chosen as the best vermouth bar in Barcelona and have their own Christmas vermouth, which is infused with nougat, almonds, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, green apple and raisins. Just like the original mulled wine, it is heated and served hot, between around 60-70 degrees. A nice alternative, if you want to enjoy something like mulled wine, while retaining the Spanish charme.
Adress: Carrer del Robí 32, Gràcia, 08024, Barcelona, España
Christmas Feeling at Home
Since it can be quite hard to find mulled wine in Barcelona, but you still want to enjoy the festive feeling of drinking a hot, delicious drink on a cold night, we looked for a good recipe, so you can make your own variation of the traditional drink!
Even though there is no better feeling than drinking mulled wine on a Christmas market and heating yourself up whilst strolling through the stands, it is a very easy drink to make yourself and only needs about 5 minutes preparation. Especially in winter, it is the perfect drink for a romantic date night and even big holiday parties. You only need a stove or a slow cooker. The advantage of making your own mulled wine, is that you can totally customize it with your favourite spices and liquors. You will need:
- Wine: No need for a pricey wine, a mid-ranged bottled wine will do. You can choose red or white wine to your liking, the best choice would be a fruity and full bodied one, so it can withstand the heat.
- Your favourite liquor: If you want to pep up your mulled wine a little bit, you can add a shot of liquor. Brandy, rum, or amaretto are best for this.
- Fresh oranges: To avoid bitterness, it is best to peel the oranges.
- Cinnamon: You can use either cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon, but the cinnamon stick make for a great decoration in your mulled wine.
- Mulling spices: Usually star anise, cloves and cardamon and ginger, but you can add spices to your own liking.
- Sweetener: Mulled wine is already quite sweet, but for especially sweet tastebuds you can add a sweetener like sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
Steps:
- Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and give them a stir.
- Heat it up until the wine reaches a simmer. It is important to avoid letting it bubble, so the wine doesn’t evaporate.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes up to 3 hours.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, remove and discard the orange slices, cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise and ginger.
- Serve your mulled wine warm and garnish it with your favourite toppings.
- ENJOY! And Merry Christmas!
Mulled wine is a perfect drink to enjoy in winter and it immediately puts you in a Christmas mood. So, what’s stopping you from inviting over your friends and family and have your own Christmas evening with delicious, mulled wine or strolling around the lit-up streets of Barcelona on the search for the traditional festive drink?
