Glögg, because it’s written in Sweden and Iceland, is a scorching mulled wine made with sugar, spices, generally liquor, and extra. It’s a wintertime favourite in a lot of Scandinavia and the Nordic area, the place its zesty perfume drifts by way of Christmas markets and lingers inside many snow-covered properties. In Norway, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands, it is spelled barely in a different way as gløgg, whereas Finland is aware of it as glögi, however the root is similar: to “warmth” or “mull” (in Swedish, that’d be “glödga”). This describes the unique apply of soaking a block of sugar with alcohol, suspending it over the wine, and lighting it on fireplace. Because it burns, the sugar melts and drips into the wine, sweetening and heating it.

In accordance with The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, early iterations of glögg may be traced again to seventeenth century Scandinavia. As we speak, glögg is made extra just by dissolving the sugar into immediately into the wine together with spices and flavorings. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, cardamom, and orange are all traditional elements. To get probably the most out of the spices, I toast them in a dry skillet first, a course of that enhances their advanced flavors. Some glögg recipes heat all of the elements collectively in the identical pot and let it steep. Different recipes, like this one, simmer the sugar, water, and spices alone to make a flavorful easy syrup earlier than including the remaining parts. The upper warmth on this latter methodology quickly extracts taste from the spices, resulting in a extra developed glögg extra shortly.

A dry crimson wine is finest since glögg is sweetened with sugar and generally blended with port, a dessert wine, which, except for sweetness, provides depth. I like the richness that the port contributes and like ruby (which has a fruity taste) to tawny (which is nuttier). This recipe has a gentle sweetness, so be at liberty so as to add extra sugar after the ultimate steep for those who’d like.

For an additional non-obligatory kick, glögg may be spiked with vodka, brandy, rum, or aquavit, the nationwide spirit of Scandinavia made with potatoes or grain, caraway or dill, and different savory spices and herbs. Many Nordic nations have their very own distinctive blends that vary in taste.

Glögg is historically garnished with raisins and almonds. Some add these in the intervening time of serving, however I like so as to add them to the pot earlier, the place they contribute a delicate nuttiness and sweetness to the glögg. As a result of they’re much less of an impediment whereas sipping, I attain for slivered almonds as an alternative of entire.

You possibly can serve glögg straight from the stovetop, the place it could possibly conveniently be stored heat. When serving glögg, the spices are usually left behind. I discover the simplest approach to do that is to wrap the spices in a spice bag or cheesecloth, which makes it straightforward to keep away from them when ladling the glögg unto mugs whereas permitting the spices to proceed infusing their taste over time.

As easy and straightforward as glögg is, there could also be no higher option to seize the vacations in a cup. That, in my e book, is a formidable feat.

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