Cinnamoney Spiced Wine costs £60 a glass
It's the festive tipple that gets the nation feeling merry at Christmas, but you might sober right up if you had to pay £60 for a glass.
That's the price of a new mulled wine on sale at Searcys bar in St Pancras station in London.
Hailed as the world's most expensive, it costs £10 more than last year's bankrupter - the £50Mayfair Mulled Wine from Hush in west London.
The so-called Cinnamoney Spiced Wine's unique ingredients include a premium Bordeaux, a fine Champagne, a Normandie 'cidre' and a dessert wine.
These are added in along with the familiar spices that you would normally find in mulled wine for the made-to-order drink.
Searcys' latest festive fancy has been specially developed by the bar's senior mixologists and renowned food and drink writer, Matthew Fort.
Along with mulling spices such as cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks, Cinnamoney Spiced Wine contains Lanson Pére et Fils Champagne, Muscat De Beaumes de Venise dessert wine, Blanche de Normandie Calvados and the co*cktail's main ingredient, Chateau des Gravieres Bordeaux wine.
Peter Alderin, general manager of Searcys at St Pancras International, said: 'Mulled wine is a staple of the festive period but this year we wanted to create something slightly different that brought together the finest ingredients from France and the UK.
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'As with any good mulled wine, the base flavour is the full bodied and rich, Chateau des Gravieres Bordeaux wine that comes from Northern France.
'Lanson Pere et Fils Champagne - with its five different types of grapes and warm honey tones - and Blanche de Normandie cidre add a light and fresh tone while the Muscat dessert wine brings a touch of sweetness and the perfect finish.'
The 98 metre space at Searcys Champagne Barallows a panoramic view of the terminal
Searcys at St Pancras International is Europe’s longest Champagne bar with 1,372 Champagne flutes lined up side by side.The 98-metre space allows a panoramic view of the terminal while making the most of the historic vaulted ceiling.
There’s seating for 110 and plenty of standing room, and 12 banquettes (seating six people each) line the length of the bar. Art Deco lamps provide ambience and there are individual blankets and fan heaters for chilly winter evenings.
Cinnamoney Spiced Wine is only on sale at Searcys Champagne Bar at St Pancras International until 31st December.
Cinnamoney Spiced Wine is on sale at Searcys at St Pancras International until 31st December
Mulled wine is good for you! But can't afford Searcys'? Make your own!
The creator of award-winning Liz Earle Beauty Co.
Liz Earle, creator of the award-winning Liz Earle Beauty Co., mother-of-five, organic farmer and founder of Liz Earle Wellbeing, writes about the health benefits of red wine and shares her favourite recipe for mulled wine:
'The benefits of red wine have been widely publicised in recent years, with most scientists agreeing that, when drunk in moderation, it may help protect the heart, prevent blood clots and strokes, and even ward off certain cancers including colon and prostate.
'A glass of red wine contains high amounts of natural polyphenols or antioxidants which not only help our cells fight against free radical damage but also increase our levels of 'good' cholesterol.
'It also contains procyanidins which help reduce blood pressure and protect against hardening of the arteries. Studies have shown that red wine may boost brain power too, especially for older women, although the jury’s out as to whether this benefit comes solely from wine or includes other alcohol.
'Don’t forget, it’s only a glass or two that may keep the doctor away, not a whole bottle!
'If you’re in need of a little seasonal cheer, why not enjoy a glass of delicious mulled wine. Adding spices such as cinnamon, cloves and star anise also boosts our antioxidant levels.
'This is my personal favourite recipe which will be served to guests at an upcoming candlelit carol concert in aid of my charity, LiveTwice. A heart-healthy winter warmer.'
Liz Earle writes about the health benefits of red wine and shares her favourite recipe for mulled wine
Ingredients:
Use the below as a guideline but feel free to add your own additional spices such as vanilla and cardamom.
• 2 oranges, organic (or well-scrubbed)
• Peel of 1 lemon (organic, un-waxed or well-scrubbed)
• 100g caster sugar
• A generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 sticks cinnamon
• 6 cloves, plus extra for garnish
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 2 bottles of fruity inexpensive red wine, preferably organic
• 500 ml water
• 5 star anise
Method:
Peel and juice one orange into a large saucepan along with the lemon peel, sugar and all the spices apart from the star anise.
Add just enough water or a little wine to cover the sugar, then simmer gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil for a few minutes to infuse the spices until you have a sticky syrup.
Then add the bottles of wine and star anise to the pan and heat gently until warm. Be careful not to let the mulled wine boil at this stage otherwise the alcohol will burn off, together with many of the healthy benefits of red wine!
Ladle into glasses and decorate with a wedge of orange (studded with a few extra cloves if you wish).
To make a less alcoholic version, simply add a little more orange juice and water. For a non-alcoholic version, replace the red wine with cranberry juice.
For more advice and tips on wellbeing from Liz Earle, head over to lizearlewellbeing.com
