What goes better with the Christmas season than a warming mulled wine with seasonal spices? This recipe features a traditional German gluhwein like you can find at the magical Christmas Markets in Germany.
Mulled wine is a drink with tradition. Even the ancient Romans spiced wine, and in the Middle Ages it was considered a medicine. Isn´t that a great little excuse to drink a second mug full of the fragrant steaming wine?
When the temperatures are cold, mulled wine comes to the rescue. From the inside, the sweet mixture of red wine, sugar, spices and citrus notes warms you up, and from the outside, the warm mug prevents your fingers from freezing. No wonder the beverage is so popular.
Ingredients
Sugar
Use your favorite sugar or sugar substitute for this recipe and adjust it to your taste. Make it as sweet as you like but keep in mind, that too much sugar in gluhwein can cause headaches.
Wine
As in all mixtures the quality of the base products is responsible for the quality of the end product. Use high quality wines to achieve best results.
Oranges
Best is to use organic oranges as you place them with the peel into the beverage. If you can´t find organic oranges or just don´t want to pay the extra cost it is perfectly fine to just wash the oranges with vinegar and then rinse them with hot water.
Rum or Whiskey
The addition of rum or whiskey gives the gluhwein a flavorful depth. But if you prefer a lighter version with less alcohol you could just leave it out.
Traditional German Gluhwein Recipe
Recipe
Authentic German Glühwein
Ingredients
- 1 bottle red wine i.e. Spätburgunder, Dornfelder, Trollinger, Merlot
- 2 oranges organic
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 7 whole cloves
- 1 whole star anise
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup dark rum or whiskey
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Slice one orange into slices and juice the other orange.
- To a large pot add red wine, the spices, sugar, orange juice and orange slices.
- Heat on medium for about 20 min. Stir occasionally and make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove spices and stir in rum and vanilla extract right before you are ready to serve.
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