Spice it up!

It is still cold. My rum has gone the path that all good rum, in my house, has to take eventually, and has disappeared in those last sips of hot tea. Grog, that is.

Now what?

I will follow the leads of my ancestors who had the great insight to heat up whatever alcoholic beverage they could find, and add spices as they found appropriate for the season.

So, how about a glass of hot wine?

The "Gluehwein" (glowing wine, or mulled wine) concept is simple: warm up red wine with sugar and christmas spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and a slice or two of orange (some add lemon, I prefer orange). If you let the wine stand for a while first with the spices, and then heat them up to warm them for 10-20 minutes (without ever boiling it) the spices will nicely get into the wine. You can try now and then to test whether it needs more sugar, or more time to spice it up.

Here is a nice recipe you might want to try, and here another one that sounds great as well. Most recipes I found online use water. I never do that, the wine itself with sugar & spices is just fine.. however, admittedly, somewhat deadly. Even more deadly is this one: with brandy! Sounds great..
Try & find out what you like.

In germany, you will find Gluehwein sold on every christmas market, in bottles or cardboard boxes (like juice/milk boxes) for sale in the grocerie store, all ready to warm & drink, and there are Gluehwein-spice teabags as well that can be put into the wine while heating it up.

It'll make you happy and fuzzy and guaranteed very warm..
Enjoy!