Gluhwein Recipe for 2023

[zencro]

It is said that many many years ago, probably before most of your all's grandparents grandparents grandparents etc. were even thought of, the people used to gather spices that they found interesting to cook with and sell them in the market.

Way back then it was common practice to drink wine with meals.

At the time, wine was less likely to be as dangerous as having a drink of water. You never knew who, living upstream from wherever you were drinking, was using that same stream to dispose of zammy knows-what.

So, back to the market days, wine was a commonly sold beverage. In the winter it was often warmed to help offset the chill of a brisk day. If it wound up boiling it lost the alcohol content so, to compensate, sometimes schnapps was added to give it the "kick" it needed. Perhaps it was a windy winter's day at the market, and some spices got airborne and landed in the wine.

And thus was born the first "mulled" wine. The people liked it and soon there was a demand... Over time more spices and fruits were discovered to introduce other pleasing tastes and these gradually became part of the traditional recipes.

In Germany (and in other European areas) this came to be a common beverage sold at Christmas time. There are many different recipes for different groups but the following is the one I've used this year:

Warning: wear clothes you don't mind getting stained while making this...otherwise your guest might call the police when you stumble drunkenly into the gathering soaked and dripping in red stained clothes.

Ingredients (per gallon): [3.8 L]
========================
2 to 4 (depending on their size) Cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoon whole cloves [10 ml]
1 large Orange (you'll also want the cleaned skin of this so you might want to find one labeled "Organic")
1 Lemon (or just the juice of) [optional]
1 large Apple (peeled, cored, sliced and diced with the seeds and stem removed)
1 Pomegranate (yes, you'll need to open and get the juicy bits out) [optional]
1 tablespoon Star Anise (normally about 5 or 6 stars) [15 ml]
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom [optional] [2.5 ml]
1 cup sugar [240 ml]
1 cup Apple Schnapps or Brandy [240 ml]
1 gallon of a "medium" red Wine...not an expensive one. A "Cab" is a good choice. [3.8 L]
If you're crazy for the "kick" you can also add a shot of Ever-clear or pure grain alcohol. [30 ml]

Destructions.....er, I mean "Instructions"
==========================================

Slice the orange into relatively thin slices (say 1/8 to 1/4 inch) [3.175 mm to 6.35 mm]
In a large glass or steel cooking pot (not aluminum) add about 2 quarts [2.28 L] of wine and
include all the ingredients except the schnapps/brandy/Ever-clear. Cover and
allow to simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.
DO NOT ALLOW THE SPICES ETC. TO BURN ON THE BOTTOM OF THE POT!
DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO BOIL!

After an hour or so the mixture should be ready to taste...add sugar as needed to sweeten.

Once you have the taste you want add the rest of the wine and allow it to come up to
a simmer again. Once more, add sugar to taste. It should be sweet but not obnoxiously so.

Now add the schnapps/brandy and serve warmed.
Do NOT use the microwave to warm it...
Some people prefer to cook this in a double-boiler to keep it off the direct heat. If doing so again do NOT allow the mixture itself to come to a boil!

If you're crazy for the kick you can now mix in that shot of Ever-Clear/PGA but make sure to mix it in well.

Serve after filtering out the spices with a colander or just be very careful and warn the consumers not to drink the bigger bits.

It should be served just short of simmering temperature.

Think about the safety of your guests if hosting a party...
Make sure you have a spare room for any who over-imbibe or have the number for a local trusted taxi service on speed dial.
it might be a good idea to have guests fill out a card in advance with their address of choice to which they want to be delivered should they become unable to drive.

If you have rugs of any sort not colored red remove them from wherever people are drinking this...you have been warned.