To Mull Wine (An excellent French receipt)

Instructions

1. Boil in a wineglassful and a half of water a quarter of an ounce of spice - cinnamon, ginger slightly bruised, and cloves - with three ounces of fine sugar, until they form a thick syrup. Do not on any account allow it to burn.
2. Of the quarter-ounce of spice, allow twenty-four fine cloves, and rather more ginger than cinnamon for the remainder.
3. If orange-rind is used (a strip or two cut extremely thin, which gives the beverage the flavour of bishop), boil it with the spice.
4. Pour in a pint of port wine and stir it gently until it is on the point of boiling only. Serve it immediately.
5. In France light claret takes the place of port wine, and the better kinds of vin ordinaire are very palatable prepared this way.
6. Obs.: sherry, or very fine raisin or ginger wine, prepared as above and stirred hot to the yolks of four fresh eggs, will make good egg-wine.