We’ve all heard the saying that “only two things in life are certain: death and taxes.” Now, I don’t know about you but I find that to be a very bleak perspective. I'm guessing good ol' Ben Franklin came up with that little saying because he never heard of Gløgg. If he had, then he'd probably have demanded that this holiday staple be served at all of his Christmas and New Year's parties!
So, since it 'tis the season, I bring you something that will brighten up the day and help spread joy among all: the annual posting of the Gløgg recipe!
I’ve been monitoring a marked increase in searches for a Gløgg recipe, so it’s time once again to post a link and make it easier to find. Just a reminder, this is a 40+ year old recipe and even though it dates back to the days of LBJ it still holds up as good as ever.
To serve 20-25
2 quarts dry red wine (about 2 standard 750 mL bottles)
2 quarts muscatel (or muscato)
1 pint sweet vermouth
2 tablespoons Angostura bitters
2 cups raisins
Peelings of 1 orange
12 whole cardamoms, bruised in a mortar with a pestle or by covering with a towel and crushing with a rolling pin
10 whole cloves
1 piece (about 2 inches) of fresh ginger
1 stick cinnamon
1 ½ cups akevitt (preferably Linie)
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups whole almonds, blanched and peeled
Adapted from Recipes: The Cooking of Scandinavia. Time-Life Books. New York, 1968
Before you start cooking/drinking this holiday elixir, though, make sure you read the original blog post with commentary from Cultural Advisor, Colin Thonsen. It’ll make the preparation and cooking process go a lot smoother.
Enjoy the Gløgg!