Glögg (Swedish Mulled Wine) Cocktail Recipe
Red wine warmed with cardamom, cinnamon and clove, sweetened and fortified, poured hot over raisins and almonds.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Irish coffee mug
- ABV: 12%
- Difficulty: Medium
- Prep time: ~4 min
Ingredients
- Red wine150 ml (5.1 oz)
- Port wine30 ml (1 oz)
- Sugar2 tsp
- Cinnamon stick1 piece
- Cardamom pods4 piece
- Whole cloves3 piece
- Orange peel1 piece
How to Make It
- Put the red wine, port and sugar in a saucepan with the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and orange peel.
- Heat gently until it steams, never letting it boil, or the alcohol and aroma will escape.
- Leave it to infuse over the lowest heat for at least twenty minutes.
- Spoon raisins and almonds into each cup and strain the hot glögg over them.
Garnish
A spoonful of raisins and blanched almonds in the bottom of the cup.
What it tastes like
The sweetness is pronounced and there is a spiced warmth to it.
The technique
Built in the glass. Ice goes into the serving glass, the ingredients go on top, and you stir once if at all. Anything carbonated goes in LAST and never gets stirred; every turn of the spoon costs you bubbles. Fill the glass to the rim with ice: less ice melts faster, not slower.
Glass and ice
A handled, thick-walled Irish coffee mug. Built for hot drinks: the handle protects your hand and the thick glass holds the heat. Warming it with hot water first noticeably changes the first sip.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Red wine
- You want a young, fruity red that does not push its tannin; heavy, oaky wines turn harsh against cola or soda. Expensive wine is wasted here.
- Sugar
- Granulated sugar. It dissolves badly in a cold drink, so either muddle it with a few drops of water first or turn it into syrup to begin with.
- Cinnamon stick
- A cinnamon stick is aroma, not decoration: it steeps in a hot drink, and in a cold one it is rubbed along the rim to leave its scent.
The Story
Glögg is the Nordic take on mulled wine and a fixture of the Swedish Christmas season, traditionally served in small cups with raisins and blanched almonds spooned into the bottom.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Glögg (Swedish Mulled Wine) mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in an Irish coffee mug.
- How strong is a Glögg (Swedish Mulled Wine)?
- Roughly 12% ABV as served — right around a glass of wine — an aperitif or an early-evening drink.
- Can a Glögg (Swedish Mulled Wine) be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Glögg (Swedish Mulled Wine) hard to make?
- Moderate. A shaker or mixing glass plus a strainer covers it.
The main ingredient here is also a dream symbol: Wine in a dream
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.