Christmas Recipe: German Mulled Wine or “Glühwein”
Continuing with the series of Christmas posts, today I bring you a recipe that I learned in Germany, on a trip that I just came back from very recently and that I absolutely loved. It is a spiced and aromatic hot wine or mulled wine called “Glühwein”.
On the cold German nights, walking through the Christmas markets or “Weihnachtsmarkt”, you could see virtually all adults with a cup in their hands. Most of them drank this delicious wine, which was served in a Christmas cup for which you paid a little bit extra as a deposit, and then you could decide whether to return it, getting the deposit back or you could keep it. People collect them, since each stand and each market has a different design. I brought 5 different cups back from my trip!
I thought this would be a fantastic recipe to make during the holidays and in our home celebrations with our friends and family. While it is true that we probably don’t need to warm up since we will be in the comfort of our homes, I assure you that it will bring a special touch to your celebration and a spark that never hurts!
Here is the recipe for this delicious hot beverage:
Ingredients:
- 750 ml of red wine (best if it is good quality)
- 375 ml sweet vermouth
- 50 grams of Angostura bitters
- 25 grams of orange peel
- 10 grams of lemon peel
- 1 clove
- 1 green cardamom pod
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 2 anise stars
- 1 open vanilla pod
- 50 grams of brown sugar
Preparation:
Place all the spices and fruit peels in a wide pot. Add the sugar and heat until the aromas begin to come out. Add the spirits and a little wine, just to cover the sugar, and heat stirring with a wooden spoon until dissolved.
Incorporate the rest of the red wine, mixing well. Heat at medium temperature, without allowing it boil. Cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, ensuring that the temperature does not rise too high.
Check the sweetness, being careful not to get burned, and add a little bit more sugar if necessary. Remove from heat and pass through a strainer to remove the spices. Then we can store it in a beautiful bottle or jar in which we can serve it later. It is not necessary to serve at the moment, we can save it and then reheat whenever we want to serve it.
I hope you like it!
