Rejoice! Chinese Herbal Mulled Wine ft. Life Force Immunity Tincture
When I thought about what to make for December as part of our herbal cocktail series, what came to mind was mulled wine, which is one of the few cocktails that’s served hot, and perfect for the wintertime.
Then, I thought back to last November, when I had a dream about longan, a fruit grown in Asia that translates to “dragon eye” in Chinese. Longan has a brown peelable shell that houses sweet, juicy, translucent, and super addictive flesh surrounding a smooth, hard black seed (hence the eye imagery). When dried, it takes on a light-dark brown color and is just as sweet, if not more.
As a kid, I would inhale them by the pound like how Kirby would vacuum up anything in sight, only for my parents to frequently warn me from going overboard because it is “yeet hay” (roughly translated to “heat air”). Since longan is sweet/warming, it tends to be too heating in excess (heat conditions can be sore throat, acne, canker sores, etc.) As I started studying Chinese medicine, I realize how embedded our understanding of Chinese medicine principles and herbal energetics is in our daily life and food. If you were raised by a Chinese immigrant family, ya know.
By the way, a traditional Chinese medicine remedy is to make herbal wines, where longan (and other herbs) are soaked in the wine, shaken occasionally and left to sit… and the longer, the better!
Combining both my mulled wine and longan obsession, I created Rejoice!, a Chinese herb-inspired mulled wine featuring astragalus, longan berries, goji berries, cinnamon, red jujubes (red dates), cloves, and star anise.
Similar to the longan herbal wine, this drink is a great tonic meant to be sipped and savored, preferably after a nice dinner or while snuggled up on the couch, curled up with a book, watching the snowfall outside the window.
The herbs in this mulled wine are sweet, which is usually a sign that it is great as a blood and qi (energy) tonic. This drink can especially serve to support those with blood deficiency (e.g. if you are anemic, just finished your menstrual cycle, etc.) It also helps restore energy and vitality, if you are feeling exhausted, worn out, and emotionally frazzled.
Moreover, I kept in the mind the need for immune-boosting herbs at this time of the year. For example, cinnamon not only brings sweetness and spice, but it also is an antiviral that supports the immune system and increases blood circulation.
And the lovely astragalus boosts your wei qi, which is a protective energetic “barrier” that covers your skin, helping prevent external pathogens from invading your body, most often in the form of respiratory conditions, as your lungs is the one of the organs most susceptible to external contact. (Spiritually, think of astragalus as a herb for protection and boundaries… strengthening you to avoid depletion.) Astragalus also helps inhibit viral replication and increases the production of white blood cells and lymphocytes, and has been used as preventative medicine in China for thousands of years for longevity.
To finish off the cocktail, I also added a dropperful of our Life Force Immunity Tincture, also made with Chinese herbs including he shou wu (foti), astragalus, reishi mushroom, goji berry, and red date.
Anyway, I can go on and on… but I figured that you’d like to get to wining and sipping already!
You can get these herbs at your local Chinese supermarket or herbal store.
A lot of shit happened this year. In the spirit of saying “bye” to 2020 and embracing the pockets of hope that we can get, let’s rejoice and find the joys in the little things that are going well in our lives. Let’s give each other virtual cheers to stayin’ alive, and sip some mulled wine.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL! (AVAILABLE ON 12/22)
Rejoice! Chinese Herbal Mulled Wine ft. Life Force Immunity Tincture
Makes about 4 servings (total of 2 cups, or ½ cup per person)
1 bottle (750 mL) red wine
1 tbsp astragalus root
½ cup longan berries
¼ cup goji berries
½ tsp. cinnamon
6 red jujubes (red dates)
4 cloves
2 star anise
30g brown sugar*
*I used brown rock sugar (about ⅕ of the rectangular slab), which is commonly used as a sweetener in making Chinese dessert soups, but you can use loose sugar or sub with honey or maple syrup if you prefer. The herbs will already naturally lend the wine sweetness, so you can adjust to taste.
Measure out all of the ingredients. Pour the wine, herbs, and sugar into a pot.
Simmer over medium to low heat for 30 minutes. Keep it at a light simmer. Lower the heat when necessary so that it doesn't boil. Stir occasionally.
Strain out the wine and pour it into a wine glass or mug.
Add a dropperful of Life Force Immunity Tincture for that immunity boost.
Garnish with a couple of goji berries. Sip and rejoice!
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