Glögg Spiced Wine Recipes

TRADITIONAL SWEDISH GLöGG

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine the wine, bourbon or vodka (if using), sugar, orange zest, raisins, cardamom pods, ginger root, cinnamon stick, and cloves into a 2- to 3-quart pot. Heat to 175 F (77 C) and let simmer for 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let stand and steep for 1 hour.
• Strain to remove the fruit and spices and gently reheat the punch.
• Add a few slivered almonds and raisins to each serving glass and garnish with a slice of orange, and serve.

GLöGG (SPICED WINE)

Steps:

• Prepare and cut fruits as indicated. Add the fruit, spices and nuts to a stainless pot or enameled dutch oven. Spices may be put in cheese cloth and into the alcohol mixture instead of floating free. Add the wine and other alcohol. Simmer on the lowest heat, covered, for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the flavors to steep and marry. Garnish the cups with a cinnamon stick, thin orange peel and half moon slice of a fresh orange. Garnish the heatproof punch bowl with freshly cut fruit and spices. Warm the wine, add to cups and serve. Any fruits can be used for Glogg. The ones, I recommended are a mixture of traditional and my own favorites. Note: Although heated, this wine still has a lot of alcohol in it and is not intended for minors. Photo credit: ciboulette via photopin cc
• Here is the Julmarknad (Christmas Market) in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo credit: Nenyaki via photopin cc
• In Germany this is called Christkindl Market Gluhwein and is often made with white wine. The photo shows commercially made Gluhwein available at many liquor stores in the U.S. and abroad. Photo credit: thegirlrg via photopin cc
• Here is a Gluhwein sign from the Christkindl Market (Christmas Market) in Germany. photo credit: Crossroads Magazine via photopin cc
• Here is the German Christkindl. Photo credit: w4nd3rl0st (InspiredinDesMoines) via photopin cc

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.

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.