How to Make Mulled Beer

You've just walked through the door. It's freezing outside and you would like something hot to drink. Forget hot chocolate or tea, there is something much, much better––a hot glass of beer. Yes, you heard it correctly. For most of beer's 100 centuries of history, people enjoyed their beer without any kind of refrigeration, and so can you. This sweet, creamy recipe will warm you up on any cold, winter night.

Edit Ingredients

Mulled beer:

12-16 oz (350-475ml) decent-quality beer (the contents of your average bottle or can of beer)

2 tsp (10g) sugar

1 pinch ground ginger, or 1 slice (sometimes called "coins") of ginger 1/4" (6.35mm) long

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1-2 pinch(es) cinnamon, or 1" (2.5cm) section of a cinnamon stick

1 pinch ground cloves or 2-5 whole cloves

1 tablespoon (15ml) honey

1 egg

Mulled ale:

1 tankard/big beer mug of brown ale per drinker

2 teaspoons sugar per tankard

Pinch powdered nutmeg, ginger and clove per tankard

Edit Steps

Mulled beer

Pour the beer into a small saucepan. Add the spices.

Heat the beer and spices in a small saucepan on low to medium-low heat. If the beer begins to boil, turn down the heat. The beer will begin to foam, but should subside after a minute or two.

Separate the egg white from the egg yolk and put in a small bowl. This recipe only uses the egg yolk.

Add two teaspoons of sugar to the egg yolk.

Beat the sugar and yolk with a whisk or fork until it becomes nearly white (it's the hardest part!).
- Optional but recommended: Temper the yolk mixture. To prevent "scrambling" the egg yolk mixture in the heat of the beer, you can temper the mixture by adding 1-2 tablespoon(s) of the hot beer to the yolk mixture very slowly and mixing thoroughly.

Add the yolk mixture slowly to the warm beer and continue to heat for 5 minutes. Stir gently.

Add honey to taste.

Use a strainer to sieve out any egg pieces that may have formed, if you like. This likely will not have happened if you tempered the yolk mixture before adding it to the beer.

Drink and enjoy!

Mulled ale

Preheat pewter tankards or glass beer mugs. Placing them in an oven at very low heat should be sufficient, or dipping in hot water and drying just before pouring will work.

Pour the ale into the saucepan. Pour enough for each drinker (size up the saucepan if needed). Add the teaspoons of sugar and the spices. (If you find clove too strong, leave it out.)

Heat the pan gently on the stove. Do not boil it.

Pour into the preheated glasses. It is claimed that sipping this just prior to bed will ensure a good night's rest!

Edit Tips

Experiment with different kinds of beer. Lagers, ales, stouts and IPAs will all yield different (and possibly tasty) results.

The types and amounts of spices listed above should be treated as a guideline. If you know you like lots of ginger, add more. If you're more of a cinnamon fan, use more of that. Remember, add only a small amount at first. You can always add more spices. It's quite difficult to take them away.

Some traditional recipes:
- Aleberry. Heat beer to boiling, then add sugar and spices (to taste) and top all with floating sops of bread.^[1]
- Lambswool. Popular in the 1700s.^[2] Roast several apples until the skins burst. Heat strong, old ale and blend in nutmeg, ginger and sugar. Immerse apples in the heated beer immediately before serving.^[1]
- Wassail. Place sugar in the bottom of a bowl. Pour in a pint of warm beer along with nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. Allow to stand for several hours, then heat and top with several thin slices of toast to serve.^[1]