Mulling Spices for Large Batches: How to Make Mulled Drinks at Scale

In short: For large batches of mulled wine, cider or juice, a liquid mulling spice extract is easier to scale than whole spices: there is nothing to simmer, steep or strain, and every batch tastes the same. Mulling Spices Spice Drops are dosed at 1 drop for every 76ml of liquid, roughly 44ml of extract for 100 litres, and a 100ml bottle flavours around 228 litres. A 1 litre trade size is available on request.

Christmas markets, event caterers, pubs, hotels and drinks producers all face the same problem in winter: making a lot of mulled drink, quickly, that tastes the same in the last cup as in the first. This guide explains how a concentrated mulling spice extract solves that, with dosing figures for every batch size.

Why are whole spices hard to scale?

Cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange peel need time on the heat to give up their flavour, and the strength changes with how long they steep and how fresh they are. In a 50 litre urn that means long heating times, bags of spice to strain out, and a drink that gets stronger, or more bitter, the longer it sits. Different staff on different shifts rarely get it the same.

What are Mulling Spices Spice Drops?

A concentrated liquid blend of orange, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, fennel and ginger extracts, made for mulled wine, mulled cider and alcohol free mulled drinks. Mulling Spices won two stars at the Great Taste Awards 2015. Spice Drops contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and are oxalate free. They are vegan, gluten free and alcohol free, and contain a plant derived emulsifier, polysorbate 80, which helps them mix evenly into wine, cider and juice.

How much Mulling Spices do you need for a large batch?

The ratio on our pack is 1 drop for every 76ml of liquid. At scale it is easier to measure by volume, using about 0.44ml of extract per litre.

Figures are rounded. Start at these amounts, taste, then adjust to your recipe and your customers.

How do you make a large batch of mulled wine?

1. Pour the wine (and any juice, sugar or syrup) into your urn, pan or kettle and warm it gently.
2. Keep it below boiling, so the alcohol and flavour are not driven off.
3. Once it is hot, stir in the Mulling Spices: about 0.44ml per litre.
4. Stir well, taste, and adjust with a little more extract or sweetener.
5. Hold at serving temperature, below a simmer, and stir from time to time.

Add orange slices for the look, and a few drops of Orange Zest Spice Drops if you want a brighter citrus note.

Can you make alcohol free mulled drinks at scale?

Yes. Use the same dose in warm apple juice, red grape juice or cranberry juice. Because Spice Drops are alcohol free, they suit drivers, families and anyone not drinking, and you can run an alcohol free urn alongside the wine from the same bottle of extract.

Why does a liquid extract suit production?

• Consistency: the same dose gives the same flavour in every batch, whoever is making it.
• Speed: no steeping time, so a batch is ready as soon as it is hot.
• No straining: nothing to fish out of the urn and no sediment in the cup.
• Easy costing: a 100ml bottle flavours around 228 litres, so the spice cost per cup is simple to work out.
• Long shelf life: up to three years from manufacture when stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, so stock bought in autumn will last into next season.

Who uses Mulling Spices for large batches?

• Christmas markets and street food traders.
• Event and wedding caterers.
• Pubs, bars and hotels serving winter specials.
• Garden centres, ski lodges and visitor attractions.
• Wine, cider and soft drinks producers developing seasonal products.

What documents do drinks producers need?

For each flavour we can supply a product specification, a safety data sheet and a certificate of analysis. The specification includes a labelling recommendation, so your technical team can check it against your own recipe and labels. Our specifications show none of the 14 allergens that UK food law requires you to declare. If you are bottling a mulled product, run a trial through your own process before scaling up.

How are Spice Drops made?

Spice Drops are made at our own factory in Kerala, India, by a family business that dates back to 1946. The spices are crushed in a hammer mill or under a roller without heat, then extracted, and the solvent is removed under vacuum. For some flavours the distilled oil of the same spice is added back. The result is real spice flavour: the natural compounds that give each spice its taste and aroma are still there, such as piperine, which gives black pepper its heat.

How do you order Mulling Spices in bulk?

Buy 100ml bottles online, or open a trade account through our Trade page for trade prices and the 1 litre size. Producers can find more detail on our Manufacturers page and HORECA page. For smaller events, see mulled wine for a crowd.