I want to brew up some mulled wine for a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.
So: Red wine, port wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peel. Crock pot. Low heat.
Now: to make the best gløgg/bisschopswijn/gluhwein/mulled wine/etc in the history of the planet, in what proportions should I combine these ingredients? What would you add? Omit? And by what name do you call a heated spiced wine in your home?
I call it gluhwein in my kitchen.
3/4 water or orange juice
3/4 cup white sugar or less
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange
10 whole cloves
1 bottle red wine
Boil the water, sugar, cinnamon. Then bring it down to a simmer. Cut the orange in half, and juice it into the pot. Push the cloves into the peel and add to the simmering liquid for a half hour or until thick and syrupy. Add the wine and heat until it steams, but not simmering. Take out the peels with cloves.
For a hearty, boozy version, I’ll add in a half to full cup each of gin and cognac. The sugar cuts the heat.
Alco that I am, I was always worried about ‘buring off’ the alcohol during the cooking. Then I read Jamie Oliver’s recipe and he said just ‘cook’ a cupful of the wine with the juice and spice etc., and then you can pour that prepared wine back into the bottle where it will flavor the rest of the wine. Now, I’m not really sure that there is a danger of ‘cooking off’ the alcohol, but his method works like a charm anyway.
I have just received two bottles of the best glögg imaginable. It is made by some friends of mine who make a batch every year. Unfortunately I don’t know the recipe so I can’t give it to you. If I remember correctly it contains red wine, port and/or sherry, vodka and their secret spice mix which, among other stuff, includes some piri piri, which adds a bit of a sting to it.
I call mulled wine hippocras And I make it as follows:
3 bottles dry red wine (shiraz, cab sauv,merlot, blends)
1 bottle port or dark sherry
1c sugar
2 Sticks cinnamon, several thick orange slices studded with cloves, several star anise, 1 vanilla pod, scant handful dried citrus peel (usually orange, lemon and bergamot), couple handfuls raisins or sultanas.
Heat to simmer, not boiling, and keep there for at least an hour before serving.
Gløgg. Here we can buy more or less ready to drink gløgg in bottles. Heat it and add red wine, raisins and chopped almonds and/or hazel nuts.
Otherwise it’s made more or less as the OP describes, sans the port. Sometimes a little vodka is added for a bit more sting.
If you can get a fresh cardamom pod, adding that would be the most delicious thing I can think of. Also surprisingly good is the addition of one (only one!) telicherry* pepper corn. Also some Madagascar vanilla would be yummy.
I also find that dries orange peel provides a different sort of flavor that is warmer and better than fresh for this purpose.
*Spell check wants to change this word to “helicopter”. WTF?
I just call it simply spicewine. My spice mix varies a bit, depending on what is available in the cupboard when, invariably on a whim, I decide to make a batch. But iirc the best I had was made with cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cloves, bergamot, ginger, and orange peel in a cheesecloth sachet plunked into the red wine. And after it all steeped, usually in the electric kettle, add 1/4 cup simple syrup, and a few splashes of hazelnut schnappes. Another splash of good brandy in the cup for any dedicated lushes that may be hanging about, if you like.