Traditional Swedish Glà¶gg
Prep:5 mins
Cook:12 mins
Steep:60 mins
Total:77 mins
Servings:4 to 6 servings
Yield:4 to 6 cups
Sweet, warm, and spicy, glögg (pronounced "glue-gh") is Sweden's seasonal gift to chilly souls around the globe. Often enjoyed as a Christmas holiday drink, glögg means "glowing ember" and this mulled wine carries the classic connotations and merry musings of its Old Norse origins. Promising good cheer in a steamy cup, this punch charms with high-octane aromas, super spice, and the warm glow of good wine.
Perhaps you've seen glögg for sale at Ikea, and wondered what it was about. Many European countries have their own tasty versions of mulled wine. The Swedish take tends to turn things up a notch with a generous splash of bourbon or vodka and the added aromatics of cardamom pods. Keeping with many of the belly-warming spice themes found in Germany's glühwein, Swedish glögg traditionally strains out the spices prior to serving. It also includes raisins and blanched, slivered almonds to the final mug.
This easy-to-make, even easier-to-drink, traditional glögg recipe by Mattias Borrman is not limited to yuletide happenings. It's also perfect for festive winter gatherings or as a quick warmer on snowy days.
"Most mulled wines are over reduced because of high heat and lack a substantial base. This recipe is an excellent example of a great mulled wine. It has the right amount of spice and a solid bourbon base. I’ve never heard of Glogg, however, its name does not serve this tantalizing wintertime drink well enough." —Sean Michael Johnson
Ingredients
1 bottle red wine
1 1/2 cups bourbon, or vodka, optional
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons raisins, more for serving
1 tablespoon green cardamom pods
2 tablespoons sliced ginger root
1 stick cinnamon
8 whole cloves
2 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds
Orange slices, for garnish
Steps to Make It
Gather the ingredients.
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Combine the wine, bourbon or vodka (if using), sugar, orange zest, raisins, cardamom pods, ginger root, cinnamon stick, and cloves into a 2- to 3-quart pot. Heat to 175 F (77 C) and let simmer for 2 minutes.
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