Take:
4 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon of cardamom seeds
10 cloves
1 large piece of ginger
1 half lemon
2 cups vodka
Break your cinnamon sticks and crack your cardamom seeds; toss ’em into a jug. Give the piece of ginger root a good couple of whacks, zest the lemon half and pop ’em both into the jug; take the rest of the spices and throw them in there, too. Pour in the vodka, cover and leave overnight.
The next day, take:
1 bottle of red wine
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Mix the wine, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan.
Strain the vodka, and discard the spices. Add the spiced vodka to the saucepan and heat just until it begins to steam — any warmer and you’ll start evaporating your alcohol.
Voila! LawDog’s Bathtub Glögg!
(You may want to add sugar to taste.)
LawDog
Mmmm. What time does the party start?
Any suggestions as to what wine to use? The only form of vino I’ve found to my tastes (other than mead, of course) is Tokej Azou. Tasty stuff, but (a) it’s a white wine and (b) it’s $40 for a half liter bottle when I can find it at all.
About the wine – does quality matter and grape-type?
Sounds wonderful, and maybe slightly evil. Will definitely try this one.
That is the first time I ever hear of glögg including vodka. It’s supposed to be just spiced mulled wine. It’s made seasonally here, so I just buy it… though I prefer the low-alcohol version I can buy at any convenience store, there’s also some strong ones at the liquor stores.
I live in sweden, and I think it’s a swedish specialty(at least with that name), though the german gluwein is similar I hear(if not the same thing, haven’t tried it).
Traditionally it’s made with red wine, but I’ve seen white wine versions crop up recently. I’m no connoisseur but I think the wine should be sweet.
I would use brandy instead of vodka. Real glögg should be about 22% abv.
Type of Wine: “Cheap plonk”
Ok, _not_ the really nasty stuff you’d have to be want to drink it normally, even if you weren’t impressed.
But let’s face it, you are adulterating wine here with with strong liquour, sugars ( I always use honey rather than sugar) fruits and spices… good wine is for sipping & drinking, not for Gloegg.
The better grade of box wine, or “whatever” the local wine shop is selling on remainder works fine. I usually head to the 1.5 litre bottles and look for something cheap, dark and strong like Australian Shiraz.
The Holiday drink of choice at the Griff household is Milk Punch (not for any diabetics out there)
Mix:
1 gallon WHOLE milk
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 TBS Vanilla
1 750ml Brandy (the cheaper, the better.)
Mix Well and MARK well (so the kiddies don’t accidentally pour it on their cereal.) Put in a dash of nutmeg when served.
kaerius is right, Glogg is a Swedish seasonal drink. Usually popular around Christmas holiday. Served with a split pea soup and ginger bread cookies. For the rest of us Americanized heathens, we can get all this at IKEA. Well, except for me. Since I married a true Swedish beauty, I get mine straight from the source.
Oh, BTW, wine choice really doesn’t matter, but I have tried it with a lingonberry wine I bought in Katrineholm, Sweden a few years back and never looked back. Make sure you serve with almonds and raisins in the bottom of your glass.
Milk punch?
Oh, gag!
It can’t be as horrible as it sounds. But then, I really loathe the smell and taste of milk. The Dog likes eggnog in the holidays, so I just leave the room.
There’s a little Spanish red wine that the Dog uses in a kind of turkey-bean chili (recipe somewhere on this blog) that really ought to be just drunk. I think it would go very well in the outer space glogg recipe.
LawMom
A couple of things come to mind here. Somebody mentioned “adulterating wine with hard liquor” and also there’s the added sugars. I’m wondering what the hangover’s like. The other thing is that aside from there being very few wines I like, I’ve heard vodka was pretty nasty stuff (but then I never tried it).
Ya’ll keep in mind, I mostly drink Jim Beam’s 7 year old Bourbon and a lot of folks don’t like to hear me say that. My tastes are also probably a bit different in that I like egg nog (Mayfield – when I can get it), but I can’t stand drinking plain milk. ***shrug***
mustanger98 on THR
There’s nothing wrong with vodka, but on the other hand, I can’t stand whisky/bourbon. Difference in taste I suppose.
That said, mixing alcohol types is generally bad, with results usually being vomiting, hangover, or both. On a related note, the best way to avoid a hangover I have found is drinking plenty of water and eating a solid meal(preferably with lots of salt and grease, burger and fries works) BEFORE going to bed. Hangovers are caused mainly by dehydration, so water and salt to absorb it helps.
However Glögg shouldn’t be drunk for intoxication, just something tasty to warm you up and perhaps give a bit of christmas spirit.
Now, there are probably as many ways to make glögg as there are ways to make bbq but that will not stop me from weighing in with my field-tested knowledge.
Take
750 mL red wine (See above comments for type)
750 mL ruby port (should be as drinkable, yet unremarkable as the wine)
250 mL brandy
mulling spices (exercise creativity here, cinnamon, clove-studded citrus fruit, cardamon, ginger, etc.)
slivered almonds
raisins
Simmer covered for at least an hour over very low heat. If done properly, the vapors will all condense on the pot lid preventing loss of either alcohol or flavour. Meanwhile, take a half cup of sugar and another 250 mL brandy in a suitable skillet. heat with stirring until the brandy boils. Ignite, allow the sugar to caramelize, and then pour the flaming mixture into the pot with the other ingredients. Stir to mix, serve.
Serves at least 10.
Hey! My mom makes that! Except hers is the Swedish version, put a bottle of good Port in a saucepan, add a handful of cloves, a few cinnamon sticks, and heat till just steaming, and serve hot or cold. I’ll have to try that recipe sometime!