Without a doubt the most typical drink of the German Christmas markets is the “Glühwein” or mulled wine. Are you curious to know its origin and how to prepare it yourself?
Originally, it was in Rome where this hot wine drink was started in ancient times, which was flavored with raisins, honey, roasted dates, pepper, laurel and a touch of saffron.
It is said that it was mainly made attractive by the medicinal properties it provided to those who took it. Although later it was also a great ally against the low winter temperatures.
Over time it was adopted with some variations in countries like Germany, where it is already considered one of the flagship stars of winter festivities and is the favorite drink of those who attend Christmas markets.
It is possible to buy it bottled and heat it, although some skeptics doubt the amount of sugar or additives it may contain. Another option is to do it at home, and for this the most important key is not to let the wine boil, as the alcohol evaporates. The ideal and recommended thing is to cook it over low heat and, little by little, add the other ingredients. The best red wines are the young ones, fruity and with few tannins.
Here is the recipe for the traditional Glühwein:
- 1 liter of red wine
- 1 ORGANIC orange
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 3-4 tablespoons of sugar, honey or agave syrup
- optional: vanilla pod
To make the perfect, classic mulled wine yourself, you should follow the following steps:
1. In the first step, the red wine is heated in a saucepan. However, the wine must never boil, but rather be heated up to a boiling point of 78 degrees, otherwise the alcohol evaporates and the wine can quickly become bitter.
2. Now the sliced orange and the mulled wine spices are added and sweetened according to taste.
Then the pot is removed from the stove and the spices are left to steep for about an hour.
3. Before serving, reheat the mulled wine and pour it into the cup through a sieve.
Prost!
