Why It Works
- Toasting the spices develops extra complicated flavors and aromas.
- Steeping the spices in a scorching sugar syrup with out the wine extracts their flavors shortly, and would not burn off alcohol.
- A mix of dry crimson wine, port, and a spirit creates a posh drink with a hefty kick.
Glögg, because it’s written in Sweden and Iceland, is a scorching mulled wine made with sugar, spices, typically liquor, and extra. It’s a wintertime favourite in a lot of Scandinavia and the Nordic area, the place its zesty perfume drifts by way of Christmas markets and lingers inside many snow-covered houses. In Norway, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands, it is spelled barely in another way as gløgg, whereas Finland is aware of it as glögi, however the root is identical: to “warmth” or “mull” (in Swedish, that’d be “glödga”). This describes the unique observe of soaking a block of sugar with alcohol, suspending it over the wine, and lighting it on hearth. Because it burns, the sugar melts and drips into the wine, sweetening and heating it.
In line with The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, early iterations of glögg could be traced again to seventeenth century Scandinavia. As we speak, glögg is made extra just by dissolving the sugar into instantly into the wine together with spices and flavorings. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, cardamom, and orange are all basic elements. To get essentially the most out of the spices, I toast them in a dry skillet first, a course of that enhances their complicated flavors. Some glögg recipes heat all of the elements collectively in the identical pot and let it steep. Different recipes, like this one, simmer the sugar, water, and spices alone to make a flavorful easy syrup earlier than including the remaining elements. The upper warmth on this latter technique quickly extracts taste from the spices, resulting in a extra developed glögg extra shortly.
A dry crimson wine is greatest since glögg is sweetened with sugar and typically blended with port, a dessert wine, which, other than sweetness, provides depth. I like the richness that the port contributes and like ruby (which has a fruity taste) to tawny (which is nuttier). This recipe has a light sweetness, so be at liberty so as to add extra sugar after the ultimate steep in the event you’d like.
For an additional non-obligatory kick, glögg could be spiked with vodka, brandy, rum, or aquavit, the nationwide spirit of Scandinavia made with potatoes or grain, caraway or dill, and different savory spices and herbs. Many Nordic nations have their very own distinctive blends that vary in taste.
Glögg is historically garnished with raisins and almonds. Some add these in the mean time of serving, however I like so as to add them to the pot earlier, the place they contribute a refined nuttiness and sweetness to the glögg. As a result of they’re much less of an impediment whereas sipping, I attain for slivered almonds as a substitute of entire.
You may serve glögg straight from the stovetop, the place it could conveniently be saved heat. When serving glögg, the spices are usually left behind. I discover the simplest manner to do that is to wrap the spices in a spice bag or cheesecloth, which makes it simple to keep away from them when ladling the glögg unto mugs whereas permitting the spices to proceed infusing their taste over time.
As easy and simple as glögg is, there could also be no higher solution to seize the vacations in a cup. That, in my e-book, is a powerful feat.
Love Mulled Wine? This Spiced Nordic Beverage Is the Vacation Hotter You Want
Cook dinner Mode
(Maintain display screen awake)
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8 inexperienced cardamom pods, flippantly crushed
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8 entire cloves
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2 cinnamon sticks, damaged into items
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1 cup water (8 fluid ounces; 240ml)
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1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 100g)
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4 roughly 1” by 3” strips recent orange peel, from about half a medium orange
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One 2-inch piece (30g) ginger, peeled and diced (about 20g after peeling)
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One 750ml bottle dry crimson wine (see notice)
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One 750ml bottle port
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1 cup aquavit, vodka, or brandy (8 fluid ounces; 240ml)
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1/2 cup darkish or golden raisins (3 ounces; 85g)
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1/2 cup blanched almonds slivers (2 ounces; 60g)
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In a 3-quart saucier or saucepan, toast cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon over medium warmth, shaking the pan sometimes, till aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the water, sugar, orange peel, and ginger. Deliver to a simmer over medium warmth, then stir till sugar is dissolved, about 30 seconds. Flip off warmth.
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Pressure syrup by way of a fine-mesh strainer set over a small heatproof bowl. Switch the strained elements to a spice bag. (Alternatively, chances are you’ll use cheesecloth and wire.)
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In the identical 3-quart saucier, add the spice bag, spiced syrup, wine, port, aquavit, raisins, and almonds. Deliver the combination to a naked simmer over excessive warmth, however don’t boil. Flip off warmth, cowl, and permit to steep, till aromatic and infused, at the very least half-hour and as much as 2 hours.
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When able to serve, ladle glögg into mugs or cups, scooping just a few raisins and almonds into every one.
Notes
This recipe works greatest with dry, unsweet wines comparable to Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot.
Make-Forward and Storage
To make glögg forward of time, take away the spice bag after step 3, then permit the combination to chill to room temperature. Switch to an hermetic container and refrigerate for as much as 3 days. Reheat in a 3-quart saucier till heat, however don’t let it boil.