Mulled wine, but chilled

For the simple syrup:

1 (5- to 6-inch) piece ginger

2 cinnamon sticks, lightly crushed

4 whole cloves

4 whole black peppercorns

¾ cup granulated sugar

5 whole green cardamompods, lightly crushed

For the cocktail:

Ice

1 ½ ounces dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir, Gamay or Grenache

1 ounce Cognac

½ ounce sweet vermouth

½ ounce fresh lime juice

1. Place a coupe glass in the freezer to chill for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. (Alternatively, fill the coupe with ice andwater, stir for 30 seconds, pour out the ice andwater, dry quickly, and pour in the drink into the now-chilled glass.) 2. Prepare the syrup: Gently run the ginger underwater to remove any traces of dirt. If the ginger is thin-skinned, leave the skin on. Otherwise, peel. Use the larger holes on a box grater to grate the ginger, and add to a small saucepan. Place overmedium-high heat.

3. Add 1 ½ cupswater, cinnamon sticks, cloves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer on medium until the liquid reduces by about half and is very fragrant, about 20 minutes.

4.Add the sugar and cardamom, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove pan fromthe heat, and set aside to cool completely. Strain through a finemesh sieve. This makes about 1 cup. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2weeks. (You can use this in place of a standard syrup in another cocktail.) 5. Prepare the cocktail: In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the wine, Cognac, vermouth, ½ ounce mulled simple syrup and lime juice. Shake and strain into the chilled glass.