Mulled — The Holiday Accord (Set of Four)

Long before mulled wine there was hippocras: wine with sugar and spices, cinnamon first among them, steeped and strained through a conical cloth bag called the manicum hippocraticum, Hippocrates’ sleeve. Written recipes survive from around 1300, in cookbooks and physicians’ manuals alike. This set rebuilds the scent from four organic single oils.

01 · The Set

• Red Orange (organic, Italy) · 10 ml. The top note: limonene and myrcene, bright and juicy.
• Balsam Fir (organic, Canada) · 5 ml. The heart: pinenes and bornyl acetate, green and resinous.
• Vanilla CO2 (organic, Uganda) · 5 ml. The base: vanillin, softly sweet, in place of the sugar.
• Cinnamon Bark (organic, Madagascar) · 5 ml. The spice: cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, warm and insistent.

Bought separately, $77. As a set, $39.

02 · The Accord

Citrus over conifer over spice over sweetness. A gourmand winter accord: the tree in the room and spiced wine on the stove.

03 · In Practice

The mulled blend, for the diffuser: four drops of Red Orange, two of Balsam Fir, one of Cinnamon Bark, one of Vanilla. Adjust to the room; cinnamon carries, so one drop is enough.

Each oil is a full single bottle and works on its own or in other blends through the winter.

General information: For external use only. Cinnamon bark is a strong skin sensitiser: use it in the diffuser, not on skin. Dilute other oils before applying to skin. Keep away from heat and sunlight. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.