Not a fan of mulled wine either. Never really liked the idea of warm alcoholic drinks, until that is, I tried some warm spiced beer in Poland a couple of years ago. When you're out in the snow in the mountains, there's nothing like a nice big clay mug full of warm spiced beer. It's really good stuff.
Have enjoyed mulled wine on a couple of occasions - usually when weather is freezing ... but it really does depend how it's been made ... get it wrong and it tastes likes hot vinegary mouth wash ....
I was skeptical at first, but it's really good stuff. There's something about it being served in a big clay mug, in a nice wooden tavern in the mountains with the snow falling outside that compliments it all I suppose.
I use **** duty free wine from the cross channel ferry to mull, my good stuff I drink straight. I don't just drink mulled wine over Christmas!!
Hot spiced cider in nice too. You never had a glug of gluhwein at an eastern European christmas market? You've never lived man. Go to Manchester, they do it there leading up to Christmas, town is roofed out with markets doing similar.
Of course, when part of the tradition is leaving some booze out for the red faced alcoholic who delivers presents then it's bound to come up.
Another reason to hate Christmas - ****e alcohol that would be consumed under no other circumstance apart from under extreme duress or having nothing other than turps in the house ffs.
