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THE ENGLISH HOME 129Many of the comforting, warmingdrinks that our ancestors wouldhave known have fallen out offavour. As author Jane Struthers reveals inThe Book of Christmas (£9.99, EburyPress), winter was the time of greatexperimentation with hot drinks fromBishop to Posset to Het Pint (whichStruthers reveals was carried by first footersfor Hogmanay), which are rarely knowntoday. Yet mulled wine continues to beserved. We are intrigued to try the recipeStruthers divulges for Dr Samuel Johnson’sMulled Wine – and the advice is to usea good quality wine when making it. DrJohnson’s recipe will make around 2¼pints, and will provide the perfect festivetipple for guests at Christmas.``````You will need:75cl bottle good red wine (claretor Merlot)12 lumps of sugar6 cloves1 orange, sliced thinly570ml (1 pt) boiling water150ml (¼ pt) orange curaçao150ml (¼ pt) brandyFreshly-grated nutmeg``````Pour the wine into a large steel saucepan,add the sugar, cloves and orange slices andheat until the liquid is coming to the boil(but do not let it boil, as that will destroythe alcohol). Add the boiling water,orange curaçao and brandy and stir well.Ladle into glasses and top with a littlefreshly-grated nutmeg.SugarAND SPICELEFT Served hot or cold, theheady aroma, evocative taste andcrimson colour of mulled wine isa seasonal joy for the senses.SugarA traditional treat of the season,discover the mulled wine recipeof Dr Samuel JohnsonTEH UK DEC15 Xmas Essentials.indd 129 14/10/2015 11:44