Frozen Mulled Wine Slush
A frozen mulled-wine slush with fruity red wine, brandy, orange, honey and classic mulling spices — a Christmas market drink sized for Margaritaville machines.
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Mulled wine is the drink of Christmas markets — red wine warmed with orange, honey and spices. This version keeps those flavors and turns them into a cold slush, so you can serve it at a holiday open house without tending a pot on the stove.
Use an inexpensive, fruity red. Freezing mutes aroma and oak, so a bold, jammy bottle works better than a delicate one.
Frozen Mulled Wine recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 7 oz fruity red wine (Merlot, Garnacha or Zinfandel), chilled
- 1½ oz brandy or orange liqueur
- 2½ oz orange juice
- 1½ oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water, cooled)
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground allspice or nutmeg
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Orange wheel, cinnamon stick, star anise. Glass: Stemless wine glass or mug.
Instructions
- Make the honey syrup and chill it with the wine and juice.
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add wine, brandy, orange juice, honey syrup, lemon juice and spices to the jar.
- Run the cycle.
- Pour into heatproof-looking mugs or stemless wine glasses. Garnish with an orange wheel, a cinnamon stick and a star anise if you have one.
How much to make in your machine
Every Margaritaville frozen concoction maker is designed around a particular volume of liquid — the shaver portions ice for it. The table scales this recipe to the margarita liquid volume printed in each model’s manual (Key West DM1000 / DM1946 3 × 12 oz drinks: 9.75 fl oz; Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM2000 3 × 12 oz drinks: 13 fl oz; Tahiti DM3000 per 24 oz jar: 8.67 fl oz; Bali DM3500 half chamber: 11 fl oz; Bali DM3500 full chamber: 22 fl oz). Amounts are rounded to the nearest ¼ or ⅓ oz.
| Ingredient | Key West DM1000 / DM19463 × 12 oz drinks | Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM20003 × 12 oz drinks | Tahiti DM3000per 24 oz jar | Bali DM3500half chamber | Bali DM3500full chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fruity red wine (Merlot, Garnacha or Zinfandel), chilled | 5¼ oz | 7 oz | 4⅔ oz | 6 oz | 11¾ oz |
| brandy or orange liqueur | 1 oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1¼ oz | 2½ oz |
| orange juice | 2 oz | 2½ oz | 1⅔ oz | 2 oz | 4¼ oz |
| honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water, cooled) | 1 oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1¼ oz | 2½ oz |
| fresh lemon juice | ⅓ oz | ½ oz | ⅓ oz | ½ oz | ¾ oz |
| ground cinnamon | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ½ tsp |
| ground cloves | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp |
| ground allspice or nutmeg | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp |
Scaling is our calculation, not a manufacturer recipe. Fruit- and ice-cream-heavy drinks vary more; adjust with the Shave Only / Blend Only controls. The Key West DM1900 isn’t listed because we haven’t verified its manual yet.
Machine notes for this drink
- This batch uses about 13 fl oz of liquid for 3 drinks. If your drink comes out watery, the manuals’ first fix is to follow the recipe volumes or manually shave more ice; if it’s too stiff, add liquid and Blend Only.
Why this recipe works
Honey syrup dissolves cleanly in cold liquid and tastes more like mulled wine than plain sugar. Orange and a little lemon stand in for the citrus peel you’d simmer in a pot, and a small amount of ground spice is enough once it’s blended through ice. The total is 13 oz of liquid — the three-drink volume used for the Bahamas and Fiji.
About frosé & frozen wine
Wine-based frozen drinks need more wine by volume than spirit drinks need liquor, because wine is only about 11–14% alcohol. Choose bold, fruity, low-oak wines — freezing mutes aroma and exaggerates bitterness.
Tips for the best texture
- Whisk the ground spices into the honey syrup so they don’t float on top of the wine.
- Taste before serving. Clove is strong; a little goes a long way.
- Chill the wine well. Cold wine foams less and makes a firmer slush.
- Serve right away. Wine slushes melt faster than spirit-based ones.
- Never put anything but ice in the ice reservoir, and don’t fill the jar past its maximum line — both are warnings in every manual.
- Too thin? Hold the toggle in Shave Only for a few seconds, then Blend Only to mix it in. Too thick? Add an ounce of liquid and Blend Only.
Serving & make-ahead
Garnish with orange wheel, cinnamon stick, star anise and serve in a stemless wine glass or mug. Wine slushes melt faster than spirit-based ones, so pour into chilled stemless glasses and serve right away. Keep the wine in the fridge until the last minute. Leftover frosé or sangria slush can go in a covered container in the freezer for a day; give it a stir or a short Blend Only before serving.
Variations
- White mulled: Use a dry Riesling or Pinot Grigio and swap the brandy for elderflower liqueur.
- Cranberry mulled: Replace 2 oz of the wine with cranberry juice cocktail.
- Port finish: Float ½ oz ruby port on each glass after pouring.
Mocktail swap
Use 7 oz purple grape juice plus 2 oz apple cider instead of the wine, skip the brandy, and keep the orange, honey syrup, lemon and spices.
Making this for a holiday party, or giving a machine as a gift? Our Margaritaville Machine Gift Guide 2026 covers every model plus mixers, rim salt and glassware.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to simmer the spices first?
No. For a frozen version, ground spices in the jar are enough. Simmering is for the hot drink, where you need time to extract flavor from whole spices.
Which wine?
A fruity, low-tannin red — Garnacha, Merlot or an inexpensive Zinfandel. Avoid heavily oaked Cabernet.
Can I make the base ahead?
Yes. Mix everything except the ice the day before and keep it in the fridge; shake and blend to order.
How much ice should I put in the machine?
Fill the ice reservoir with ice cubes — the machine shaves the amount it needs for the cycle (dial models size it to the 1, 2 or 3-drink setting). The manuals recommend ice that has been out of the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
Will this work in a regular blender?
Yes — add about 1½–2 cups of ice per 12 oz drink and blend until smooth. The texture will be coarser than shaved ice.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
