Glühwein (German Mulled Wine) is a great hot beverage to have outdoors on a cold evening with good friends. Spiced to perfect and sweeter than wine, this concoction is heart-warming around the Holiday season.
Glühwein is a warm and spiced wine is made to be taken outside, at the Christmas market, but it could also just be outside after a winter activity or to welcome guests over with this heartwarming drink. My husband is German, and his whole family enjoys every year going to the Christmas market while sipping on that comforting spiced-up wine. It makes you forget about the cold, and dipping your nose into the cup (yes, they drink this in a cup) makes you think of those perfect Christmas memories.
The Spices
The secret to a good gluhwein finds itself in the spices. I suggest some mix here, with lots of cardamom, but you could modify it slightly to your taste. Another important part would be the amount of sugar used; I suggest a quantity again. This is up to you, really, so taste it as many times as possible to make it to your preference. It’s hard to write down the exact amount of sugar because it depends on the type of wine you choose and how you prefer your gluhwein. Even in Germany, the gluhwein differs slightly from place to place, so be creative.
The Technique
As we know, warming up wine can result in a disaster, spoiling it even. That’s why the main thing to remember here is to use a thermometer and bring the wine SLOWLY up to 70°C (160F) but never pass 80°C (175F). It’s not going to make bubbles at this temperature, simply vapor will rise.
The sugar plays a big part in the process; it’s going to help stabilize the wine and give the gluhwein its flavour. I caramelized the sugar at first to make it syrupy and then added the rest of the ingredients rapidly once caramelized. But you could also make it without this first step. This caramelizing step will give this extra dimension to the gluhwein.
Variations
In Sweden, they prefer to macerate the spices inside vodka overnight before adding them to the wine. They also like a bit sweeter their Glogg (that’s its name up there). If it interests you, check out the recipe here!
So let’s make this spicy Christmas drink!
Glühwein (German Mulled Wine)
Equipment
- thermometer
Ingredients
- 750 ml red wine
- 100 g sugar
- 50 ml Brandy
- 10 pods green cardamoms (cracked open)
- 1 orange (organic preferable, cut into wedges)
- 1/4 lemon (Organic is preferable)
- 10 cloves
- 2 anis stars
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/3 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Start by cooking the sugar only in a big pot, let it melt/caramelize at medium high heat, without moving it.
- Add wine rapidly and the remaining ingredients when melted and turning yellow-brown.
- Let the wine slowly warm up to 70°C (160F) do not pass 80°C (175F) (keep a close eye on that).
- When you reach 70°C (160F) let the flavors mix up for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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