Gluhwein, Mulled Wine, Glogg

[Jaymes]

When I saw the thread title, "Winter Warmers," I immediately thought of strolling through cold, wintery Germany.

Whether you're perusing the Christkindlesmarkts, or relaxing after a ski run, or just running an errand in a small village, you're bound to come across the heady, soothing aromas of someone steeping Gluhwein. And holding a comforting glass of it is the best way to warm up chilly hands.

I've seen many recipes for this. Most involve making a spiced syrup beforehand, and then adding it to the wine. Some recipes even use tea.

Do you make mulled wine?

What's your recipe?

Any good Gluhwein memories?

[CathyL]

Gluhwein!! My former employer, the son of a Hapsburg princess, grew up with the stuff in Berlin and so it was always featured at the company's Christmas party. We were a small, quirky outfit based in a Manhattan townhouse; the festivities were more an extended (and dysfunctional) family affair than a corporate event. My husband once showed up with Don King in tow, but that's another story.

As the firm's unofficial culinary director, I came to be in charge of preparing the gluhwein according to the boss' family recipe. A number of oranges and lemons, thinly sliced; a judicious amount of sugar; smashed cinnamon sticks and cloves; grated nutmeg; a decent but cheap red wine; a glug of Grand Marnier and another of Cognac. It simmered for hours, and I always wondered why all the alcohol didn't evaporate. The house was perfumed with spices and citrus for days afterward.

[Jaymes]

As the firm's unofficial culinary director, I came to be in charge of preparing the gluhwein according to the boss' family recipe.  A number of oranges and lemons, thinly sliced; a judicious amount of sugar; smashed cinnamon sticks and cloves; grated nutmeg; a decent but cheap red wine; a glug of Grand Marnier and another of Cognac.  It simmered for hours, and I always wondered why all the alcohol didn't evaporate.  The house was perfumed with spices and citrus for days afterward.

Wow. CathyL, I adore you.

Not only do I appreciate your prompt response to my post, thereby saving me from the public humiliation of 'thread ignore-dom,' but I have immediately discarded my gluhwein recipe in favor of yours.

[CathyL]

Jaymes, you're a hoot. Go easy on the sugar. Boss and I always argued about this; he'd want to add more after two hours, I'd counter that too much would give everyone vile morning-after headaches and a few more hours of simmering would sweeten everything up. He'd remind me that a) it was his family's recipe, b) I was just a little Jewish girl from Denver, and c) he was The Boss. I usually won anyway.

Did I say dysfunctional?

[Adam Balic]

Similar recipe to CathyL, but with the addition of a bottle of Aquavite, raisons and blanched almonds. Raisons soaked in booze first. Very drunk making, so I guess the alcohol isn't cooked out.

[CathyL]

Thanks, Adam, I forgot to mention the raisins. VERY drunk-making indeed.

[Jaymes]

Jaymes, you're a hoot.    Go easy on the sugar.  Boss and I always argued about this;

I totally agree. I AM a hoot.

Also, the thing about the sugar to me is that with more sugar, the first sip may taste better, but it doesn't take long before the sweetness is cloying, and then downright unpleasant.

I always like a less-sweet drink if I am going to slurp down much of it. And, I DO enjoy slurping down several glasses of gluhwein on long winter evenings.

Or would, if I ever had any long winter evenings anymore.

[nightscotsman]

I thought I would mention there's a mulled wine recipe in the Nov/Dec issue (the current issue?) of Cook's Illustrated. Ingredients:

3 sticks cinnamon

10 whole cloves

10 black peppercorns

1 tsp allspice berries

2 bottles red wine

4 2-inch strips of orange zest

1/2 cup + 2 Tbs sugar

2-4 Tbs brandy

Toast spices for a couple minutes. add wine, zest and 1/2 cup sugar and simmer partially covered for 1 hour. strain out spices and add brandy and up to 2 Tbs more sugar.

I think I'll give this a try for quaffing during the pre-Thanksgiving cooking marathon.

[Jaymes]

The current thread on mulled ciders, etc., reminded me of this.

So, last night, I pulled up this thread and made me some mulled wine incorporating several of the suggestions/recipes given here.

Wanted to tell all of you in the frozen north that this was delicious! And if you'd like something to help dispell the cold, ice and snow that has been recently descending upon you, here's just the thing.

[Behemoth]

You can also get it with a shot of amaretto at most Wienachtsmarkts. It's nice that way but can be dangerous if you decided to have more than a few. I am still waiting for the Alster in Hamburg to freeze over while I'm there. On the rare winter days when it does, they set the Gluhwein stands up right on the ice.

Speaking of dangerous German alcohol-related activities, what about Feuerzangenbowle?

[KatieLoeb]

You can cheat and have Glühfix around. The single serving tea bags of mulling spices are quite convenient for just popping a mug of wine into the microwave and having an individual cup as a nightcap.

[Jaymes]

Boy, there's two great ideas. For some reason, had never thought about popping wine into the microwave with the mulling spices, although I do that fairly often with apple or cherry cider.

And Amaretto...I love Amaretto. I'm sure that's wonderful.

[legourmet]

Speaking of dangerous German alcohol-related activities, what about Feuerzangenbowle?

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Great stuff.

[Abra]

I too love gluhwein, and prefer it not too killingly sweet. CathyL, how much is a "judicious" amount of sugar, more or less? The recipe looks lovely.

I hate to say it, but the recipe I got from you, legourmet, a few years ago, was really too sweet for me. Usually everything American tastes too sweet to Europeans, so this is a surprising reversal.

[Adam Balic]

A nice variation is to use vanilla flavoured vodka as the additional alcohol.

In Vienna the mulled cider was called " Glühmost", I think.

[legourmet]

I too love gluhwein, and prefer it not too killingly sweet.  CathyL, how much is a "judicious" amount of sugar, more or less?  The recipe looks lovely.

I hate to say it, but the recipe I got from you, legourmet, a few years ago, was really too sweet for me.  Usually everything American tastes too sweet to Europeans, so this is a surprising reversal.

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Sorry Abra but as I remember right I told you a wrong amount of sugar. I'm not very sure about it. Because I deleted all the messages about that thread I can't tell you what's wrong with the recipe. Send a message and I'll correct it.

You may try the following:

Warm white wine drink

Some freshly grated orange peel

100 ml water

50 g sugar

1 vanilla bean (cut lengthwise into two halfs, seeds removed and added to the water)

1/2 liter white wine

2 cl cognac

Add sugar, grated orange peel and vanilla (Bean shell included) to the water and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine, heat up a a few minutes, add cognac and serve. Throw a little piece of lemon into each glas served.

Edited December 12, 2005 by legourmet (log)

[ludja]

We make our gluhwein with white wine also. White wine is more common in Styria (Austria) where my Mom and Aunt grew up. Their recipe is pretty basic using the following for about 1 cup of white wine:

1 piece lemon rind

3 cloves

1 piece cinnamon

1/4 sugar

I mentioned this thread to my Mom and we decided to definately have Gluhwein this year after forgetting it in the whirl of all the other Christmas foods we make. Thank you for starting and resurrecting the thread, Jaymes!

We typically eat roasted chestnuts with the Gluhwein; a nice combination.

Thanks for the other information and recipes from other folks. I may try adding some other spices and/or try adding some 'improvemnts' via the addition of some hard liquor...

[ludja]

A nice variation is to use vanilla flavoured vodka as the additional alcohol.

In Vienna the mulled cider was called " Glühmost", I think.

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Was the Gluhmost alcoholic? Was it apple cider?

[Behemoth]

I have to try the white wine versions -- they sound really nice.

Have not yet figured out which of our lucky American friends is inheriting our leftover zukerhuete.

Edited December 12, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[ludja]

I have to try the white wine versions -- they sound really nice.

Have not yet figured out which of our lucky American friends is inheriting our leftover zukerhuete. 

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zukerhuete? (sounds like Dutch for sugar-hat?!?)

I just read your link to "Feuerzangenbowle"; is "zukerhuete" the sugar cones for lighting on fire? If so, why is spelled that way?

Edited December 12, 2005 by ludja (log)

[KatieLoeb]

I have to try the white wine versions -- they sound really nice.

Have not yet figured out which of our lucky American friends is inheriting our leftover zukerhuete. 

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zukerhuete? (sounds like Dutch for sugar-hat?!?)

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Aha! (she said - having an inspired thought...)

Is that the cone of sugar that gets put in the middle of the punch bowl, soaked in brandy and lit on fire?? I've been told that "proper" gluhwein is served in a punchbowl with this conical sugar thingie in the middle that's soaked and set aflame, and then it crumbles and falls into the punch to sweeten and flavor it.

Am I close? Am I

[Behemoth]

Zuker huete=plural of Zuker hut. At least I have seen it spelled that way. It is indeed a sugar cone. For feuerzangenbowle it is suspended on a piece of metal over a pot of wine with aromatics, soaked with high proof rum and lit on fire. All the while you must be watching this weird little movie about a grown man who goes back to grade school to play pranks on his teacher. If you think this is weird you should see what Germans do for New Year's eve.

Here are some photos for the curious

Anyway, the drink has a terrible reputation (deservedly so) but it makes for a fun evening and a skilled host can often manage to make it reasonably tasty.

[ludja]

Zuker huete=plural of Zuker hut. At least I have seen it spelled that way. It is indeed a sugar cone. For feuerzangenbowle it is suspended on a piece of metal over a pot of wine with aromatics, soaked with high proof rum and lit on fire. All the while you must be watching this weird little movie about a grown man who goes back to grade school to play pranks on his teacher. If you think this is weird you should see what Germans do for New Year's eve.

Here are some photos for the curious

Anyway, the drink has a terrible reputation (deservedly so) but it makes for a fun evening and a skilled host can often manage to make it reasonably tasty.

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Thanks for the info, Behemoth and Katie, and for the links to the photos.

I *think* the "ue" can be a way to represent an umlaut over a "u". Probably the first half of the word is "Zucker" though. (correct spelling for sugar). Hute (with an umlaut over the "u") is plural for hat, as you mentioned.

Thanks again! If I can track these down, this may be something else we need to spring on the family when we go home for holidays!

Back to Gluhwein and happy drinking everyone!

Edited December 13, 2005 by ludja (log)

[Behemoth]

I *think* the "ue" can be a way to represent an umlaut over a "u".  Probably the first half of the word is "Zucker" though. (correct spelling for sugar).  Hute (with an umlaut over the "u") is plural for hat, as you mentioned.

Thanks again!  If I can track these down, this may be something else we need to spring on the family when we go home for holidays!

Back to Gluhwein and happy drinking everyone!

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Oops! Yes, the ue was intended to represent an umlaut, which is missing from my keyboard. I remembered the rechtschreibung for that but obviously commited a wrongschreibung for Zucker!

Um...would you seriously like these things? I have two feuerzange and three huete, so there is enough for you and my other friend if you really want to try it.

Edited December 13, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[ludja]

I'll pm you Behemoth.