Vin chaud: A nostalgic French drink that evokes Christmas

At this time every year, slow cookers are set up at Christmas market stands and on bistro bars throughout France, perfuming the air with wine warmed with baking spices, cardamom and star anise. Vin chaud est arrivé.

"Everybody says they have their own recipe for vin chaud – and the best recipe – but it's usually the same ingredients: cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, cardamom, star anise added to wine with a little sugar," says Lisa Rotoni, bartender at Little Red Door, a renowned cocktail bar in Paris's Marais district that's made the list of World's 50 Best Bars several times since its 2012 opening. 

Rotoni grew up in Saint Ouen (best known for its outstanding flea market) just outside Paris, which at the time didn't have its own Christmas market. So, when she was little, she and her grandmother would venture into the capital to the enormous market that was held on the Champs-Élysées until 2017. And the aroma of vin chaud is one that she remembers and loves. "It links to memories of Christmas, winter, comfort, coming inside," she says. She's even happy to get stuck next to a pot of vin chaud at a party, the smell is so soothing to her. 

History points to the Romans as the original concocters of wine, spices and honey or sugar, giving rise to other similar drinks around Europe, from glühwein in Germany and Austria to glögg in Scandinavia to mulled wine in the UK. In the mid 18th Century, according to French drinks historian Fernando Castellon, vin chaud was used as a medicinal tonic for wounds and eventually the common cold. And by the mid-19th Century, "we start finding recipes of vin chaud to be prepared at home", says Castellon.

For most people today, however, vin chaud is a once-a-year festive drink, one that locals and tourists alike faithfully sip from paper cups at the Christmas markets that dot small towns and big cities around France. Some recipes allow for vin chaud to be made with white wine, others call for with a little cognac added for fortification. In Lyon, at restaurant Le Mercière, a version with Beaujolais nouveau wine as its base gets dosed with a little bit of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur from Burgundy) in addition to the classic spice blend. "It will be served out of a crockpot on the terrasse; the smoke and the delicious smell attract people," says Marie Ponsonnet, who owns the restaurant with her husband César.

For a drink that's relatively simple, it does have some pitfalls. "It can be overcooked and get really bitter," says Rotoni, who used to make traditional vin chaud when working at a casual pub. "Look for a vin de table – not the cheapest €3 bottle, but one that's not too expensive or too high quality – something fruity, but with tannins."

"It's served everywhere except cocktail bars," adds Rotoni. This could be because cocktail bars don't always have the space for heating up drinks – or it could be that for some, the idea of vin chaud has started to feel a little old fashioned, something your grandparents would drink.

This is not to say that the current generation isn't drinking vin chaud with friends at a party or at the Christmas markets, a nod to seasonal obligation, but a few years ago at Little Red Door, Rotoni had the idea to modernise vin chaud by creating a cold version, while still keeping its warming spirit.

She starts with a French red vermouth as the base, instead of wine, which has its own spiced, herbal notes that she elaborates on by infusing cinnamon and star anise. She serves the infused vermouth with soda water, an orange twist and a star anise pod for garnish. "You can also use this spiced vermouth in your favorite cocktail recipe like a boulevardier or a Manhattan," Rotoni says, bringing cosy, cheerful vin chaud vibes well beyond the Christmas market.

Traditional Vin Chaud

By Lisa Rotoni

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

1 bottle of red wine (like a Côte du Rhône)

1 star anise pod

1 orange, peeled and juiced (peel reserved)

100g sugar

2 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Slice of fresh orange, star anise pod and cinnamon stick, for garnish

Method:

In a pot, warm the wine and star anise without bringing it to boil. Add all the other ingredients, lower the heat and let it infuse for 20 minutes.

Serve in a glass and garnish with the orange and spices.

Cold Vin Chaud

By Lisa Rotoni

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 bottle Dolin Vermouth Rouge

3 star anise pods

2 cinnamon sticks

Simple syrup, optional

Soda water, to top 

A strip of orange peel and a star anise pod, for garnish

Method:

In a pot, warm the wine with the star anise and cinnamon over low heat for 20 minutes. Infuse overnight.

To a rocks glass over a large ice cube, add 65ml of the infused vermouth and some simple syrup, if desired. Top with about 35ml soda water. Twist the orange peel over the glass to express its fragrant oils and discard the peel. Garnish with the star anise.

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Source: BBC