Mulled wine kits and bottles of spiced Christmas syrup make warming, practical gifts, and they are easy to put together at home. A dry mulling mix of whole spices and fully dried orange peel can be made ahead and stored in a small jar, while a spiced syrup is best bottled closer to giving and kept in the fridge. Put the two together with a gift box and you have a matched set that looks shop-bought. This guide covers which screw-cap and swing-top bottles to use for syrup, which small jars suit a mulling mix, gift boxes for matched sets, simple methods for both, and what to check before you sell.

When should you make each part of the kit?

The two halves of the kit have different timings, so split the job in two:

  • Now: Buy your jars, bottles and boxes, dry your orange peel and make up the dry mulling mix. Whole spices kept in a closed jar somewhere cool and dark will be ready whenever you are.
  • Closer to giving: Make the spiced syrup a day or two before you hand it over, so most of its fridge life is left when it arrives. Keep it in the fridge until then, and keep it chilled on the way.

Which bottles work best for spiced syrup?

A spiced syrup is used a spoonful or two at a time, so most people only need a small bottle. Clear glass shows off the deep amber or ruby colour, and a screw cap or swing stopper keeps the bottle closed in a hamper. Our catalogue lists syrups among the uses for the 100ml and 500ml Marasca, the sauce bottle, the Dorica and the Costalata below.

Small bottles for gift sets

250ml bottles for a single gift

500ml bottles for bigger batches

  • 500ml flint Marasca bottle with 31.5mm screw cap or pouring cap: About 26.5cm high and 5.5cm across the base, in clear (flint) glass, with a tall, angular shape.
  • 500ml Dorica bottle with screw cap or pouring cap: About 27.5cm high and 5.5cm across the base, with a tall, slim shape.
  • 500ml Costalata bottle with plastic swing stopper: About 26.5cm high and 6.5cm across the base, fitted with a plastic swing-stopper top. Its traditional swing-top look suits a generous kitchen gift, or a bottle you keep for yourself and refill. To clean it, wash the bottle, the stopper and its seal in hot soapy water, rinse well and leave them to air dry. Sterilise the glass bottle separately, following a reputable recipe or guide. Don't boil or bake the stopper. Before you reuse a bottle, check that the seal isn't cracked or perished.

If you reuse your bottles next year, we also sell spare black tamper-evident caps for 100ml Marasca bottles and 31.5mm black tamper-evident screw caps, which fit 250ml Marasca bottles and 100ml, 250ml and 500ml Dorica bottles. For more on bottling sweet drinks, see our guide to the best bottles for cordial, juice and squash.

Which jars suit a dry mulling mix?

A dry mulling mix is light and bulky, so choose the jar by what goes in it: the larger jars below suit a full mix, and the mini jars suit single spices or a small sample. A twist-off lid keeps the spices in, and clear glass shows off the star anise and orange peel.

Mini jars for stocking fillers

Larger jars for a full kit

  • 106ml Orcio jam jar with 53mm twist-off lid: About 6.5cm high and 4cm across the base, with a choice of four lid colours. Listed for spice blends, and its distinctive Orcio shape suits a gift.
  • 130ml (4oz) square food jam jar with 53mm twist-off lid: About 6.6cm high and 5.5cm across the base, with a choice of four lid colours. Listed for spices, and its square shape gives a flat face for a label.
  • 130ml (4oz) Bonta jar with twist-off lid: A squat, round jar, about 6.2cm high and 6cm across the base, with a wide choice of lid colours including red gingham, which looks very Christmassy. Round 130ml jars like this are the natural pairing for our three-jar presentation box below. Ask Anna on 0117 986 9667 to confirm the fit before you order.

Which gift boxes make a matched set?

A presentation box turns a few bottles or jars into a finished gift, with windows so the contents stay on show.

Matched set ideas

  • Syrup trio: Three 100ml Marasca bottles in the presentation box, for example classic mulled spice, orange and cinnamon, and star anise.
  • Five-jar spice set: Five 42ml jars in the mini presentation box, each with a different single spice or a different blend, so the recipient can mix their own.
  • Three-jar mulling set: Three 130ml Bonta jars in the three-jar presentation box (ask Anna to confirm the fit first), one each of dry mulling mix, whole cinnamon sticks and dried orange peel. Red gingham lids make it look very Christmassy.
  • Mulled wine kit: One 250ml round sauce bottle of spiced syrup with a 106ml Orcio jar of dry mulling mix, tied together with ribbon and an instructions tag. Add a bottle of wine if you are giving it in person.

How to make a spiced Christmas syrup

This method is adapted from the spiced syrup in BBC Good Food's Simnel cake sour recipe, which says its syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. We have doubled the quantities and used whole spices, which strain out cleanly and leave a clear syrup. Because our version is not identical, treat that week as the most you should allow, not a target.

What you need

  • 200g golden caster sugar and 200ml water (this makes roughly 300ml, enough for one 250ml bottle with a little over, or three 100ml bottles).
  • 2 thick strips of orange zest, without the white pith.
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 cloves and 2 star anise.
  • Clean glass bottles with their caps or stoppers, a small funnel and a fine sieve or muslin.

Method

  1. Wash the bottles, closures, funnel and sieve in hot soapy water, rinse them well, then sterilise the glass bottles following a reputable recipe or guide, and let them cool and dry fully before you fill them. Do not put the caps, lids or swing stoppers in the oven or boil them.
  2. Put the sugar, water, orange zest and spices in a pan and warm gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring it gently to the boil, then turn off the heat.
  3. Leave the syrup to cool, and get it into the fridge within 1 to 2 hours of taking it off the heat.
  4. Once it is cold, strain the syrup through the sieve or muslin into a jug, then pour it into the bottles through the funnel.
  5. Close the bottles, label them with the date you made the syrup and keep them in the fridge at 0 to 5°C.

To use it, stir a spoonful or two into a mug of warm red wine, hot apple juice or a hot toddy, or drizzle it over pancakes and ice cream.

Keeping it clean and safe

  • Use only clean bottles, closures and tools.
  • Keep the syrup in the fridge at 0 to 5°C, as the Food Standards Agency advises for chilled food, and keep it chilled while you carry it and hand it over, for example in a cool bag.
  • Count the week from the day you made the syrup, not the day you give it. Tell the recipient to keep it in the fridge and use it within 1 week of the date on the label. If you are unsure, give a shorter date rather than a longer one. If in doubt, throw it out.
  • Strain out all the fruit and spices before bottling.
  • If a bottle looks cloudy, mouldy or fizzy, or smells off, throw it away rather than taking a chance. A bottle can look and smell fine and still be past its best, so stick to the date as well.
  • For more on sterilising, labelling and storing homemade food, see the Food Standards Agency's advice on food preservation at home.

How to make a dry mulling mix

What goes in the jar

For each bottle of wine, allow roughly:

  • 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half.
  • 4 to 6 whole cloves and 1 or 2 star anise.
  • A few allspice berries and a small piece of whole nutmeg (optional).
  • A few strips of fully dried orange peel, or a couple of thin, fully dried orange slices.

Whole spices look better than ground ones in a clear jar, and they are easier to strain out. Dry the orange peel completely before it goes in the jar, either in a very low oven or in a warm, airy spot for a few days, until it snaps rather than bends. Orange slices hold far more moisture than peel, so cut them thin and dry them in a very low oven for a couple of hours, turning them halfway, until they are firm and dry right through with no soft or sticky centre. Let them cool completely before they go in the jar. Any moisture left in the orange can spoil the whole jar.

The instructions tag

Tie a tag around the jar so the recipient knows what to do:

  • Pour a bottle of red wine into a pan and add the contents of the jar, with 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar, honey or spiced syrup to taste.
  • Warm it gently over a low heat for about 15 minutes. Do not let it boil.
  • Strain and serve warm.
  • For an alcohol-free version, use apple juice instead of wine.

How should you label and finish the gift?

  • Say what is inside: Name the product and list the ingredients, for example sugar, water, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves and star anise.
  • Add a date and storage line: Give the date you made it, and on the syrup add "keep in the fridge and use within 1 week of [date]; if in doubt, throw it out".
  • Add a serving tip: A short line such as "a spoonful in warm wine or hot apple juice" makes the gift more useful.
  • Finish it off: A kraft tag tied around the neck suits the Costalata and the jars, while a printed round label suits the Marasca and sauce bottles. Match the lid colours across the set, for example a gold lid on the sauce bottle and on the spice jar. For more ideas, see our homemade Christmas hampers guide, or bottle a homemade vanilla extract to go alongside.

Thinking of selling your syrups and mulling kits?

Making a few kits for friends is one thing, but selling them is different, so check the rules before your first market or online sale:

  • Food business registration: GOV.UK guidance on starting a food business says you need to register with your local authority at least 28 days before you start trading, including if you trade from home or online. That guidance covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland; in Scotland, check Food Standards Scotland's guidance. Check what applies to you.
  • Labelling: The Food Standards Agency has guidance on packaging and labelling legal requirements for food businesses. Check it, and ask your local authority if you are unsure what your labels need.
  • Allergens: Check the Food Standards Agency's allergen guidance for food businesses, especially if a kit includes wine, as most wine contains sulphites, and sulphur dioxide and sulphites (above 10mg per kg or litre) are one of the 14 allergens that must be declared.
  • Shelf life: The 1 week above comes from a recipe for home use, not a tested shelf life. If you sell syrup commercially, you need to establish the shelf life of your own product, so talk to your local authority food team before you set a date.
  • Alcohol: If you plan to sell a kit with a bottle of wine in it, check the GOV.UK guidance on alcohol licensing, which explains when you need a licence to sell or supply alcohol. Rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Explore our bottles, jars and gift boxes

Browse our oils and dressings bottles, jam jars, gift boxes and lids, caps and corks. Or call Anna and the team on 0117 986 9667 if you want help choosing bottles and jars for your mulled wine kits and Christmas syrups.