Need another hot seasonal alcoholic drink to add alongside the hot toddy and Baileys with hot chocolate? Try this German mulled wine, Gluhwein (literally glue wine... yum!)
I first tried Gluhwein when I visited Germany a few years ago. I was shopping in one of the many Christmas Markets in Marienplatz and my nose led me to a small stand that was serving this drink up in small stein like mugs. It was a very cold evening and this hot spiced wine was exactly what I needed to get me through the rest of my shopping. I actually didn’t think about this Gluhwein much until I had returned to the states and another winter had arrived. I had a strong nostalgic feeling for some hot Gluhwein and I decided to just make my own.
Here’s a good recipe that makes almost nearly the same drink you can get in Christmas markets throughout Germany.
What you’ll need:
3/4 Cup water
3/4 Cup white sugar (I usually add this to taste)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange
16 whole cloves/or allspice
Bottle of red wine (merlot seems to work best)
Directions:
1 Add water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks into saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer once boiling.
2 Cut orange into fourths and squeeze juice into simmering water. Push 4 cloves into each of the orange slices and place these pieces into the water.
3 Simmer for about 30 minutes until it becomes thick and syrupy.
4 Pour in wine and heat until steaming. Afterwards remove the orange pieces.
Serves 6