Mulled wine

Mulled wine

Mulled wine, variations of which are popular in Europe, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and Halloween.

Glühwein

Glühwein is popular in German-speaking countries and the region of Alsace in France, former German Elsass. It is the traditional beverage offered and drunk at Christmas. It is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus and sugar. Fruit wines such as blueberry wine and cherry wine are rarely used instead of grape wine in Germany. Glühwein is drunk pure or "mit Schuss" (with a shot), which means there is rum or liqueur added. The French name is vin chaud (hot wine).

The oldest documented Glühwein tankard is attributed to the German noblemen and first Riesling grower of the world, Count John IV. of Katzenelnbogen around 1420. This gold-plated lockable silver tankard imitating the traditional wine woven wooden can is called Welcome.

A very similar type of mulled wine is popular in the Czech Republic, particularly the mountains such as the Giant Mountains. It is called svařené víno ("boiled wine").

In Poland grzane wino ("heated wine") is very similar to the Czech variant, especially in the southern regions. There is also a similar method for preparing mulled beer or "Gluhbier" which is popular with Belgian beers because of the sweet flavor of that particular type of beer, which uses the same spices as mulled wine and is heated.

In Serbia kuvano vino ("boiled wine"), and it's made of red wine, sugar, nutmegs and served with a piece of lemon or, better, orange.

In Croatia kuhano vino (cooked wine), is made from red wine, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar and a sprits of ripened orange.

In Romania it is called vin fiert ("boiled wine"), and can be made using either red or white wine, sometimes adding peppercorn.

In Bulgaria it is called greyano vino ("heated wine"), and consists of red wine, honey and peppercorn. Sometimes apples and/or citrus fruits can be added - such as lemon or oranges.

In Moldova the izvar is made from red wine with black pepper and honey.

In Italy, mulled wine is typical in the northern part of the country and is called vin brulé ("burned wine").

In Latvia it is called karstvīns ("hot wine"). When out of wine, it is prepared using grape (or currant) juice and Riga Black Balsam.

Scandinavian Gløgg

Warm mulled pear juice, alcohol-free drink.

Glögg is the term for mulled wine in the Nordic countries (sometimes misspelled as glog or glug); (in Swedish and Icelandic: Glögg, Norwegian and Danish: Gløgg, Estonian and Finnish: Glögi). Non-alcoholic glögg can be bought ready-made or prepared with fruit juices instead of wine. The main classic ingredients are (usually) red wine, sugar, spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and bitter orange, and optionally also stronger spirits such as vodka, akvavit or brandy. In Norway and Sweden, glögg spice extract and ready-mixed spices can be purchased in grocery stores. To prepare glögg, spices and/or spice extract are mixed into the wine, which is then heated to 60°-70° Celsius (140°-158° Fahrenheit). The temperature should not be allowed to rise above 78.4° Celsius (173.12° Fahrenheit) in order to avoid evaporation of the alcohol. When preparing home-made glögg using spices, the hot mixture is allowed to infuse for at least an hour, often longer, and then reheated before serving. In Sweden ready-made wine glögg is normally sold at Systembolaget ready to heat and serve, and not in concentrate or extract form. Glögg is generally served with raisins, blanched almonds and Ginger biscuits (Ginger Snaps), and is a popular hot drink during the Christmas season.

All over Scandinavia 'glögg parties' are often held during the month before Christmas. In Sweden, ginger bread and lussebullar (also called lussekatter), a type of sweet bun with saffron and raisins, are typically served. It is also traditionally served at Julbord, the Christmas buffet. In Denmark, gløgg parties typically include æbleskiver sprinkled with powdered sugar and accompanied with strawberry marmalade. In Norway gløgg parties with gløgg and rice pudding (Norwegian: riskrem) are common. In such cases the word graut-/grøtfest is more precise, taking the name from the rice pudding which is served as a course. Typically, the gløgg is drunk before eating the rice pudding, which is often served with cold, red cordial (saus).

Glögg recipes vary widely; variations with white wine or sweet wines such as Madeira, or spirits such as brandy are also popular. Glögg can also be made alcohol-free by replacing the wine with fruit or berry juices (often blackcurrant) or by boiling the glögg for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Glögg is similar in taste to modern Wassail or mulled cider.

British mulled wine

Cover of Mrs Beeton's book

A traditional recipe can be found in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management at paragraph 1961 on page 929 to 930 of the revised edition dated 1869:

1961.-TO MULL WINE.

INGREDIENTS.- To every pint of wine allow 1 large cupful of water, sugar and spice to taste.

Mode.-In making preparations like the above, it is very difficult to give the exact proportions of ingredients like sugar and spice, as what quantity might suit one person would be to another quite distasteful. Boil the spice in the water until the flavour is extracted, then add the wine and sugar, and bring the whole to the boiling-point, when serve with strips of crisp dry toast, or with biscuits. The spices usually used for mulled wine are cloves, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon or mace. Any kind of wine may be mulled, but port and claret are those usually selected for the purpose; and the latter requires a very large proportion of sugar. The vessel that the wine is boiled in must be delicately cleaned, and should be kept exclusively for the purpose. Small tin warmers may be purchased for a trifle, which are more suitable than saucepans, as, if the latter are not scrupulously clean, they spoil the wine, by imparting to it a very disagreeable flavour. These warmers should be used for no other purpose.

Chilean "Navegado"

Navegado is a kind of mulled wine typically from Chile it is also called Candola in Concepción. The word navegado comes from the Spanish navegar meaning to navigate or sail. Navegado is heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, orange slices, cloves and sugar. Almonds and raisins are often added.

Romanian "Vin fiert"

Traditionally red wine is used to which sugar, cinnamon sticks, apple and orange is added. Everything is boilled and served hot.

See also

• Grog
• Hippocras
• Negus (drink)