Classic Glogg Recipes

SWEDISH MULLED WINE (GLOGG)

Steps:

• Combine wines in a large saucepan. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of citrus fruits. Squeeze fruits and add juice to wine. Tie up lemon peel, orange peel and spices in cheesecloth and add to wine. Add raisins, almonds and sugar.
• Bring wine mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes, or until flavors are well blended and almonds are soft. Skim wine from time to time to remove any foam. Taste glogg and add sugar as necessary.
• Just before serving, add bitters and aquavit or vodka. Ladle glogg into mugs or cups and provide each guest a spoon for eating the raisins and almonds.

OLD-FASHIONED SWEDISH GLOGG

Steps:

• Heat the port wine over medium heat until just below the simmer point in a large stockpot with a lid. Add bourbon and rum, and bring back to just below simmering. Save the bottles and their caps for storing leftover glogg.
• While the wine and liquors are heating, place the cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, and orange peel onto the center of the square of cheesecloth. Gather together the edges of the cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine to secure.
• When mixture is very hot but not boiling, carefully light it with a long-handled match. Wearing a heatproof cooking mitt, carefully pour the sugar into the flames, and let the mixture burn for 1 minute. Put the lid on the stockpot to extinguish the flames, and turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool, covered, for about 10 minutes; add the cheesecloth bundle of spices and the raisins and almonds to the warm wine mixture and let it cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Strain the cooled glogg and reserve the raisins and almonds.
• To store, pour strained glogg into the bottles, recap, and keep upright in a cool dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate the steeped raisins and almonds in a covered bowl or jar for up to 1 year.
• To serve, pour glogg into a saucepan and warm over low-medium heat until hot but not simmering, about 5 minutes. Ladle 3 ounces of warmed glogg into a small coffee cup or small Swedish-style glogg mug, and garnish each serving with a few reserved raisins and almonds.

GLOGG

Steps:

• Infused vodka: Combine vodka and spices in a nonreactive bowl, and stir until mixed thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap, and let steep in a cool, dark place 7 days. Pour mixture through a fine sieve, and discard solids.
• Fortified wine: Bring water and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Let sugar syrup cool completely before using.
• Combine infused vodka, wine, vodka, and sugar syrup in a large pot, and heat slowly over very low heat (do not let boil). Add cloves, and ladle into mugs. Add raisins, almonds, and a cinnamon stick to each mug, and serve.

CLASSIC GLOGG

Steps:

• Combine red wine and Madeira in a medium saucepan. Add cardamom and cinnamon; bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir in zest and sugar. Divide almonds and raisins among 4 cups; fill with wine, and serve.

SWEDISH GLOGG

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest; stir in sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat, and allow to steep overnight.
• Place the raisins and almonds into a large saucepan. Strain the sugar water into the raisins, then pour in Muscatel, port, and brandy. Place over medium-high heat, and cook until hot but not simmering. Serve warm in a mug with some fruit and almonds in each cup.

TRADITIONAL GLOGG

Steps:

• Combine juniper berries and cardamom pods in a cheesecloth sachet. Heat Zinfandel, sugar, kumquats, 1/2 orange (sliced), 1/2 Meyer lemon (sliced), and spice sachet over medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
• Remove sachet and fruit; discard. Divide among 6 mugs or heatproof glasses. Stir Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur into each. Garnish with orange or lemon slices.