Glühwein Recipe

This winter I watched the Bafana-Bafana soccer game with some of my more cultured friends at a really nice restaurant in town. The restaurant served glühwein. Glühwein is a hot beverage made from a classic red wine that is heated to just below boiling point, sweetened and spiced up. It was one of the coldest days of the year and I wanted a hot beverage to heat me up from inside. I liked it so much that I want to share a recipe.

The recipe below is reposted from another blog and I take no credit for it.

"Really the beauty of glühwein is that you can tailor it to your own tastes. I like mine to be rich in spices, however if that is not your cup of tea, then just reduce amount of spices you add. Just take this recipe as a base and then go in the direction that best suites your tastes.

To 4 litres of red wine you need:

• Caster sugar (amount proportional to quality of red wine, the worse the wine the more sugar you need, add it to taste, but start with about 2 cups)
• 6 - 8 Cinnamon sticks
• Whole cloves
• 2 Oranges
• Whole allspice
• 2 cups of orange juice
• If you wish to get your friends and yourself tipsy even more quickly, or just to add a little extra kick, add brandy, sweet sherry or port to the mix. (optional but rather tasty)

Method:

1. Pour the red wine into a large pot and put it on the stove on a very low heat – you must not let the wine boil or the world could end… and that is not something you want to risk...
2. I tend to cut the oranges into slices and then put about 4 cloves into each slice, then put them in with the wine.
3. Break the cinnamon sticks in half or thirds and put them in with the wine as well as 10 of the whole all spice.
4. Add in the sherry or port as well as 2 cups of orange juice.
5. Add in 2 cups of sugar and stir.
6. Stir on and off for about 30 mins to give the spices time to infuse with the wine and for the magic to occur, then taste it, and add more sugar as needed (possible up to 4 or 5 cups more in the wine is really bad).
7. Let it cook/infuse/whatever for about 30 mins more (again, not letting it boil).
8. Drink and be happy

Glühwein-mix is also available and makes for effortless glühwein in minutes. I have tried the mix from gluhwein.net and I can recommend it.