Gløgg
A warm, spiced red wine punch with port and rum: the very scent of a Scandinavian Christmas in a glass.
Ingredients
- Dark rum, or brandy, to strengthen and warm250 ml
- Red wine, dry, such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon750 ml
- Tawny port, adds depth and sweetness250 ml
- Cardamom, cardamom pods10 whole
- Cloves, whole8 whole
- Cinnamon, whole sticks3 sticks
- Star anise, whole3 whole
- Almonds, flaked or blanched50 g
- Orange, zest and juice1 whole
- Brown sugar, adjust to taste100 g
- Orange, to garnish (optional)1 strip
- Raisins, to serve (optional)100 g
Method
- Soak the raisins in a little of the rum two to three hours ahead, so they turn juicy and take on flavour.
- Put water, the brown sugar and the lightly crushed spices (cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise) in a pan with the orange zest and juice. Warm gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Let the spiced syrup simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it to steep for about an hour. Strain out the solids.
- Pour the red wine, port, strained spiced syrup, the raisins with their rum, the almonds and the rest of the rum into a large pan.
- Warm gently until steaming, never boiling, and adjust with more sugar if needed.
- Take the pan off the heat and leave the gløgg to steep, covered, for at least an hour, or overnight for a deeper flavour.
- Reheat gently before serving. Put a spoonful of raisins and almonds in each mug and ladle the hot gløgg over.
About this drink
Gløgg has its roots in the spiced wines of the Middle Ages, but it gained its Nordic identity in nineteenth-century Sweden, where akvavit or brandy was added to keep out the cold of the long winters. Today it is a fixture of Christmas across Scandinavia, often served with raisins and almonds in the bottom of the cup. Every family has its own spice blend, but cardamom, cinnamon and cloves recur as the aromatic core.
Questions and answers
Can you make gløgg without alcohol?
Leave out the rum and use alcohol-free red wine and port. The blend of orange, spices and almonds still carries most of the flavour, just without the warmth of the spirit.
Can you make gløgg the day before a party?
Yes, and it is recommended. Let the spiced syrup steep for a few hours, as the recipe says, and reheat gently before serving; the flavour only improves as it comes together.
Why must gløgg never boil?
Boiling drives off the alcohol and the delicate aromas, so the drink should only ever be warmed until steaming, never bubbling. Keep an eye on the pan so it does not reach the boil.
