• 60 g (2¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) red wine
• 2 g (1/16 oz) strip of lemon peel, white pith removed
• 4 g (⅛ oz) strip of mandarin peel, white pith removed
• 1 star anise
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 4 whole cloves
• ½ nutmeg, crushed using a mortar and pestle
• 1 small cinnamon quill, crushed

Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to gently warm for 20 minutes to infuse. Pass through a sieve lined with muslin (cheesecloth) and discard the solids.

Pour the mulled wine into a 3 litre (105 fl oz) capacity distillation flask, place in a rotary evaporator*, set the water bath temperature to 35°C (95°F) and the cooling temperature to -20°C (-4°F), set the rotation speed to 80 RPM and distil at full vacuum for about 20 minutes (depending on the strength of the vacuum) or until a light syrup forms. Remove the flask from the machine and set the neck end down over a bucket to drain the syrup for 30 minutes. Pour the distillation into a small squeeze bottle. Serve at room temperature or store in the refrigerator if not using straight away.