Thursday, December 15, 2011

GLOGG, a Holiday Tradition!

Glögg is the term for mulled wine in the Nordic countries (sometimes misspelled as glog or glug); (in Swedish and Icelandic: Glögg, Norwegian and Danish: Gløgg, Estonian and Finnish: Glögi). Non-alcoholic glögg can be bought ready-made or prepared with fruit juices instead of wine.  The main classic ingredients are (usually) red wine, sugar, spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and bitter orange, and optionally also stronger spirits such as vodka, akvavit or brandy. In Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia, glögg spice extract and ready-mixed spices can be purchased in grocery stores.

To prepare glögg, spices and/or spice extract are mixed into the wine, which is then heated to 60-70 °C (140-158 °F). When preparing home-made glögg using spices, the hot mixture is allowed to infuse for at least an hour, often longer, and then reheated before serving. Glögg is generally served with raisins, blanched almonds and Ginger biscuits (Ginger Snaps), and is a popular hot drink during the Christmas season.