Swedish Glögg
Makes about 1 gallon
1.5 litre bottle of inexpensive dry red wine
1.5 litre bottle of inexpensive American port
1 bottle of inexpensive brandy or aquavit
10 inches of stick cinnamon
1 Tablespoon cardamom seeds
2 dozen whole cloves
Peel of one orange
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup blanched almonds
2 cups sugar
Garnish with the peel of another orange
Notes There is no need to invest in expensive wine or brandy because the spices
are going to preempt any innate complexity of a fine wine, but don't use
anything too cheap. Remember, the sum will be no better than the parts. Do not
use an aluminum or copper pot since these metals interact chemically with the
wine and brandy and impart a metallic taste. Use stainless steel or porcelain.
Cardamom comes in three forms: pods, seeds, and powder. Do not use powder. If
you can only find the pods (the look like orange seeds), take about 2 dozen and
pop them open to extract the seeds. Cardamom seeds may be hard to find, so you
may need to order them from a spice specialist like Penzeys.com.
Assembly Pour the red wine and port into a covered stainless steel or porcelain
kettle. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange peel, raisins, and almonds.
Warm gently, but do not boil. Boiling will burn off the alcohol
Put the sugar in a pan and soak it with half the bottle of brandy. Warm the
sugar and brandy slurry over a low flame. The sugar will melt and bubble until
it becomes a clear golden syrup of caramelized sugar. If you wish, you can speed
up the process a bit and create quite a show by flaming the brandy. Flaming will
create a 2 foot high blue flame, so be sure there is nothing above the stove
that can catch on fire. Then, stand back and light the brandy. Turn out the
kitchen lights and watch it burn! This caramelization is crucial to developing
complexity.
Add the caramelized sugar to the spiced wine mix. Cover and let it mull for an
hour. Just before serving, strain to remove the spices, and add brandy to taste
(about 1/2 pint). You can serve it immediately, or let it age for a month or
two. If you are going to age it, make sure the bottle is filled as high as
possible and sealed tight.
To serve glögg, warm it gently over a low flame or in a crockpot, and serve it
in a mug. Garnish it with a fresh orange peel, twisted over the mug to release
the oils.
You can easily tailor the recipe to your own tastes by changing the sweetness,
potency, or other ingredients. Try brown sugar if you wish. Or Southern Comfort
instead of brandy. The orange peel garnish, however, is essential to the
fragrance. Drink while seated and give your car keys to a friend.