Glögg: Scandinavian mulled wine
When it gets really cold in winter and the Advent season slowly begins, it’s time for the typical mulled wine. The sweet aroma of the cult drink lures you to the Christmas market stalls. The typical Scandinavian mulled wine is called Glögg and is drunk in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. It has a similar tradition there, but is prepared in a slightly different way. However, it is just as popular and, above all, at least as delicious, so it is well worth trying or even making it yourself.
Preparing glögg according to this recipe requires a lot of ingredients and a little patience, but no great skill. It’s child’s play and tastes delicious in the end!
Glögg Recipe
- 1 Organic orange
- 1 Piece Organic ginger
- 150 g Brown sugar
- 2 Cinnamon stick
- 1 Tsp. Cardamom powder
- 10 Cloves
- 1 Star anise
- 750 ml Red wine
- 200 ml Vodka or rum
- Sultanas
- Almond slivers or chopped almonds
- Grater
- Big pot
- Ingredients
- 1 Organic orange
- •1 Piece Organic ginger
- •150 g Brown sugar
- •2 Cinnamon stick
- •1 Tsp. Cardamom powder
- •10 Cloves
- •1 Star anise
- •750 ml Red wine
- Utils
- Grater
- •Big pot
The first step is to wash the orange and then grate the orange peel into a saucepan using a grater. Alternatively, you can add orange slices. Then slice the ginger and add together with the sugar and spices. Pour in the red wine and heat slowly until the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Ingredients
- 200 ml Vodka or rum
Then add the vodka or rum and leave the glögg to infuse for a further 15 minutes. If you prefer, you can either serve the glögg straight away or leave it to infuse further so that the flavours of the spices are even more intense. Glögg tastes particularly flavoursome the next day and can be reheated.
- Ingredients
- Sultanas
- • Almond slivers or chopped almonds
Depending on taste, the spices can be added to the glass when serving or sieved out beforehand. Sultanas and almonds are traditionally served with glögg. These are added to the glass and can be nibbled on.
| Energy | 365 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2,4 g |
| Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31,6 g |
| Calcium | 31,3 mg |
| Phosphorus | 52,6 mg |
If you want to prepare the non-alcoholic punch, swap the wine for blackcurrant juice and the liquor for water. The sugar is omitted. Alternatively, apple juice and red grape juice can be added.
Tradition & Origin
What is glögg actually? It is a hot drink that is drunk during the Advent season and consists of red wine, spices and optionally one of the spirits rum, vodka or cognac. Scandinavian mulled wine is also known as “Swedish punch” or “Swedish mulled wine”, but is actually widespread throughout Scandinavia.
In Sweden it is called glögg, probably the best-known spelling, in Denmark and Norway the hot drink is called gløgg and in Finland glögi.
In the far north, however, it does not necessarily mean that alcohol is directly involved. In the run-up to Christmas, non-alcoholic glögg, which is made from blackcurrant juice but contains the same blend of spices, is served at all times of the day in Scandinavia. This traditionally consists of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and orange or, optionally, ginger and star anise. In the alcoholic version, red wine is used as the base.
In Scandinavia, glögg is mainly drunk on Lucia, the 13th of December. It is accompanied by lussekatter, a saffron cake, and gingerbread. Winter in Scandinavia is unthinkable without this warming drink. Even though glögg is now closely associated with Scandinavian tradition, its origins are controversial. There are numerous variations and many different recipes for glögg. Some families have their own traditional recipe, which is passed down from generation to generation. Scandinavians like to sit together in the evening and drink a few glasses of glögg in a cosy atmosphere.
In Sweden, a distinction is made between weak glögg with little alcohol, which can be bought in normal supermarkets, while the stronger variants wine glögg and strong wine glögg are only sold in Systembolaget, the alcohol shops in Sweden. Glögg is typically drunk from slightly smaller glasses or cups. Then you say cheers in Swedish: Skål!
Make your own glögg
Preparing this Christmas drink from Scandinavia is not complicated and similar to making classic mulled wine. You can choose the ingredients according to your personal taste . For the alcoholic Vinglögg, you need red wine and either vodka, rum or cognac. Fresh oranges and the respective spice mix are added. The same applies to non-alcoholic glögg punch, for which blackcurrant juice is used instead.
The special thing about Scandinavian mulled wine is that it is served with (chopped) almonds and sultanas, which are either poured over the glögg or added afterwards.
